Ducks with special Needs

[FoodFreedomNow]

I have two wonderfully magnificent special quackers.

Winnie was born with a deformed beak that ended up progressing into a rather malformed bill as an adult. As a duckling I had to feed her 3-4 times daily with hard boiled egg to help her gain weight. She weighed significantly less than her siblings and grew much slower. In fact, she's 25 weeks and still hasn't had her first molt. She's doing wonderfully though! She is finally a good size, maintaining weight, and uses her bottom bill to scoop her food.

Beatrice was born a normal Welsh Harlequin. She is beautiful and was such a friendly sweet baby. At about 12 weeks she started having uncontrollable seizures. She wouldn't eat, disengaged from her feathered family, and was having 3-4 minute long seizures. She was diagnosed with epilepsy and after multiple tube feedings per day she was weaned off of phenobarbital and started on DMG as an all natural supplement. She is still a bit off and very likely has brain damage from her seizures as she is slow to register information and often seems to forget what she is doing but I just adore her. She is also seizure free!!!!

You sure do! Winnie is a real cutie, and she sounds like she has adjusted well to her challenge. It's great that Beatrice is seizure-free and seems like a happy girl. They sound like they're in very caring hands.

Thanks for sharing your ducks' stories. Best wishes to you and your girls!

 

[quackers619]

I have two wonderfully magnificent special quackers.

Winnie was born with a deformed beak that ended up progressing into a rather malformed bill as an adult. As a duckling I had to feed her 3-4 times daily with hard boiled egg to help her gain weight. She weighed significantly less than her siblings and grew much slower. In fact, she's 25 weeks and still hasn't had her first molt. She's doing wonderfully though! She is finally a good size, maintaining weight, and uses her bottom bill to scoop her food.


Beatrice was born a normal Welsh Harlequin. She is beautiful and was such a friendly sweet baby. At about 12 weeks she started having uncontrollable seizures. She wouldn't eat, disengaged from her feathered family, and was having 3-4 minute long seizures. She was diagnosed with epilepsy and after multiple tube feedings per day she was weaned off of phenobarbital and started on DMG as an all natural supplement. She is still a bit off and very likely has brain damage from her seizures as she is slow to register information and often seems to forget what she is doing but I just adore her. She is also seizure free!!!!

Thank you for sharing your story with us and would love for you to keep us up dated and share some advice that has been successful in order to help others that may be dealing with the same issues

 

[CyndiD]

Hi all... I found this thread while i was searching for help w/my Pekin. I think she needs help preening and oiling her feathers. her name is Ali.
I incubated her March 2016, she is 8.5 mo. She does not see well, just like Elliott did when he was young, Ali would peck and miss her mark. As long as i keep her water & feed bowl in the same place in her private pen area, she knows exactly where everything is and she is comfortable. She also had legg issues when she was hatched. I noticed it on day 3 or so. She had "pigeon feet", so i tried making her shoes and taped them to her feet

Ali's feet

this is a youbute video i made of her trying to walk w/her shoes on.

Ali got a little better for a few months and then she took a turn for the worse and her right knee became very swollen. I think because she was always outside w/all the other ducks and getting too much exercise, just my ignorant opinion.

So now I keep Ali in her pen area and carry her to the pond or pool and leave her out there for a few hrs and then carry her back. She doesnt have the mobility to preen herself perfectly, so I am helping her spread her oil from her gland onto her feathers.

She knows her name or she knows my voice and tries to come to me when it is "pool time", but she swims away from me when it's time to get out, unless she is hurgry and wants to get out.

She is smaller than my other pekin ducks. My drake does breed w/her and she welcomes this natural instinct; i will not incubate her eggs for fear of another special needs pekin.

this is Ali w/a diaper on, that i made. I thought she was going to be an indoor duck, that is why i made her diapers.

this is how much larger her right knee is

IMO, her tendons have not extended to their full capacity to allow her full range of motion with her legs and feet?

Ali does the best she can, and i do the best i can to help her live a comfortable life.

@quackers619 how is Dandelion doing?
@FoodFreedomNow has Elliot been soring over any fences lately?
@Mirandaleecon how is D.J. Spins doing and his sibling?
@donkeydew2farms How is Chester and Charlie doing?
@MandBducks Winnie is so cute and reminds me of my horses when they stretch their top lip up high in the air to smell... so cute. How is Beatrice doing?

I feel for all of our Special Needs waterfowl and am so glad that they are all getting around the best they can.
Thank you for this thread.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

@CyndiD , thanks for sharing your story! Ali is a very cute girl and it sounds like she is pretty spoiled.

How do you help with the oil gland issue - do you manually spread the oil on her feathers? You mentioned the visual impairment - does she have anything noticeable going on with her eyes, like cloudiness?

Have you already tried providing her with extra niacin? If not, it could help her legs. Here's a thread about niacin deficiency in ducklings that provides more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ies-in-goslings-ducklings-growth-leg-problems. There are other possible nutritional deficiencies that may cause symptoms similar to Ali's - see https://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/lameness/. Niacin deficiency is probably the most common one, though.

Elliott's flying days have been curtailed...his wings are clipped so that he can't really get much air now. He doesn't seem to mind, and lately he's been chasing the girls. He may not be able to see much, but he can hear well, and he's quick to grab a girl that passes too close. Unfortunately for him, if he loses his grip, he can't really chase them like the other drakes will. Nonetheless, he just does the best he can and is the first waiting at the gate when he knows it's feeding time.

I hope Ali has a long and happy life with you and that she'll gain more mobility. Even if she doesn't, she'll still have you watching out for her.

 

[mirandaleecon]

Hi Cyndi! DJ is doing well! She is quite stable in her condition, which is good!
Beverly on the other hand isn't that great. She for sure will need to have her foot amputated. Right now she gets around using her elbow. I'm planning on finding someone willing to 3D print her a prosthetic or if I need to, I might buy a 3D printer myself...

 

[quackers619]

Thank you for sharing your story with us Cyndi....... I to agree it would not hurt to try and give niacin for the leg.....Dandelion is doing good she has been seizure free for over a week.......she has been super spunky and bossy towards the other ducks and loves to lay and bark with the dogs. the only time i really have to look out for her is when i put her in the pool because i don't want my drake matting with her. She is getting a little trim today around her good eye and a quick clean under the crest where she can not reach. Thanks everyone for their updates and as for beverly @ mirandaleecon i will keep her in my prayers

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Hi Cyndi! DJ is doing well! She is quite stable in her condition, which is good!
Beverly on the other hand isn't that great. She for sure will need to have her foot amputated. Right now she gets around using her elbow. I'm planning on finding someone willing to 3D print her a prosthetic or if I need to, I might buy a 3D printer myself...

Glad to hear DJ is well, but sorry that Beverly is still having a tough time. I wonder if the woman in this story might be willing to help: https://www.google.com/amp/www.digi...d-printed-prosthetic-feet/amp/?client=safari?

If it does become necessary to fit her with the prosthesis, please update us on how she does. Best wishes to you and your ducks.

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Thank you for sharing your story with us Cyndi....... I to agree it would not  hurt to try and give niacin for the leg.....Dandelion is doing good she has been seizure free for over a week.......she has been super spunky and bossy towards the other ducks and loves to lay and bark with the dogs. the only time i really have to look out for her is when i put her in the pool because i don't want my drake matting with her. She is getting a little trim today around her good eye and a quick clean under the crest where she can not reach.  Thanks everyone for their updates and as for beverly @ mirandaleecon i will keep her in my prayers 

Excellent news!!

 

[quackers619]

Excellent news!!

Thanks

i Definitely prefer the good days over the bad

 

[CyndiD]

@CyndiD
, thanks for sharing your story!  Ali is a very cute girl and it sounds like she is pretty spoiled.  How do you help with the oil gland issue - do you manually spread the oil on her feathers? You mentioned the visual impairment - does she have anything noticeable going on with her eyes, like cloudiness?

Have you already tried providing her with extra niacin?  If not, it could help her legs.  Here's a thread about niacin deficiency in ducklings that provides more info: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ies-in-goslings-ducklings-growth-leg-problems.  There are other possible nutritional deficiencies that may cause symptoms similar to Ali's - see https://poultrykeeper.com/skeletal-and-muscular-disorders/lameness/.  Niacin deficiency is probably the most common one, though. 

Elliott's flying days have been curtailed...his wings are clipped so that he can't really get much air now.  He doesn't seem to mind, and lately he's been chasing the girls.  He may not be able to see much, but he can hear well, and he's quick to grab a girl that passes too close. Unfortunately for him, if he loses his grip, he can't really chase them like the other drakes will.  Nonetheless, he just does the best he can and is the first waiting at the gate when he knows it's feeding time. 

I hope Ali has a long and happy life with you and that she'll gain more mobility.  Even if she doesn't, she'll still have you watching out for her. 

yes, i manually spread her oil on her freathers. i read an article about washing the dirty feathers w/dawn soap and then spreading her oil on the clean and dry feathers. i only help her w/t feathers that she has a hard time reaching; on her bum area.
i give all my ducklings niacin from hatch to 15 weeks old. I gave Ali niacin longer because of her leg issues. the feed they eat also has niacin. plus my ducks get garden vegies, frozen/thawed vegies if i dont have fresh. i am wondering if there is a multi vitamin that ducks can have?

Elliott is funny, waiting to grab a passing lass... tee hee, i can picture it.