Fixing pekin duckling bow legs?

[foundpekin]

Hello, Barnyard Chickens community!
I found you because I've been hunting up ways to help this 2-3 week old Pekin duckling I found alone in a parking lot. Its legs are bowed and it steps on its own feet and tumbles over often. When I put my question in the search bar, a person named Nicole was asking a similar question. I wanted to follow the conversation further. We've had the fuzzy duckling for almost a week. We are considering keeping it as a pet instead of turning it over to a rehabber. My adult daughter lives with us and is totally in love with it already. I had read that niacin helps the vitamin deficiency. I bought Brewer's Yeast and have shaken it over all its meals for about 3-4 days now. It's still tripping over its own feet but is very hungry, happy and chirpy. It's already attached to us and chases us if we walk away. It chirps frantically, like crying, when we leave it alone in a closed room. So my question is: would the bow legs need bracing or some kind of therapy? Or are we fine just keeping on giving it the niacin in the food and hope for the best? Here's a picture of the little one.

 

[Isaac 0]

Hi, there, welcome to BackYard Chickens.

I might suggest you read this thread I made regarding niacin deficiencies in waterfowl. It contains most of the answers to your questions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[drumstick diva]

I consider Isaac 0 our in house advisor on ducks. He is very knowledgeable.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC. Great link provide by @Isaac 0 .

 

[KaleIAm]

So precious!! Thank you for saving him/her!!

 

[Rubyrose75]

Hi, there, welcome to BackYard Chickens.

I might suggest you read this thread I made regarding niacin deficiencies in waterfowl. It contains most of the answers to your questions.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

I read the article you mentioned but I still have a question. My teenager pelkin duck has two bowed legs really bad. He steps on his own feet when walking and falls over. He getting worse. I've changed his feed and I gave him the extra vitamins. I've even put calicum packet in his water. I took him out of the coop n put him back in my room so I can keep a closer eye on him. I give him a bath everyday to excerise his legs. But he doesn't seem to be getting any better. He only takes a few steps then sits or falls over. Stays there for a few mins and will try to get up n walk a few more steps and sits back down. I don't know what else to do for him.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Are you giving your Pekin Liquid B complex daily? 1 ml daily is the dose.

 

[Isaac 0]

I read the article you mentioned but I still have a question. My teenager pelkin duck has two bowed legs really bad. He steps on his own feet when walking and falls over. He getting worse. I've changed his feed and I gave him the extra vitamins. I've even put calicum packet in his water. I took him out of the coop n put him back in my room so I can keep a closer eye on him. I give him a bath everyday to excerise his legs. But he doesn't seem to be getting any better. He only takes a few steps then sits or falls over. Stays there for a few mins and will try to get up n walk a few more steps and sits back down. I don't know what else to do for him.

Do you have a video?
Do you have a link to the vitamins you are using/ at what dose?
If the bowed legs have been going on for quite some time now eventually the legs will become fixed in that position and vitamins will become useless to the problem.
Not giving the proper amount of niacin could also be a reason you're not seeing improvement.

This is all considering the problem is related to a niacin deficiency. Albeit less common, other issues such as varus/valgus can cause pigeon toed-ness.