Floppy, shaky duckling who keeps falling on his back!

[duckluck]

You may want to look at this article, "HAVE YOUR DUCKS BEEN DOING THE BACKSTROKE? Toxoplasmosis" by K. J. Theodoreon found here: http://www.shagbarkbantams.com/page13.htm

";The first sign of Toxoplasmosis is usually a young duckling flipping over onto its back with the inability to right itself."

Read the article it is very informative.

This being said, I just want to add caution to anyone who raises baby Call ducks: it is VERY common to have "flippers" the first couple of days of life. Adult Calls of good width sometimes get flipped onto their backs as well and have to struggle to right themselves. So not all "flippers" are sick. Some just need a helpful push if they struggle too long and a lot of times their hatch mates will run them over and right them.

 

[Amiga]

Thanks for that. It can be tough to diagnose problems, at least initially. Very good information about early "flipping."

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you. Heres another pic of all of them

They were so precious, how did you come by the diagnosis did you have a necropsy done?

 

[Queenandking13]

No, I didn't even think of having it done :/
I was searching through the duck diseases and I found Riemerella Anatipestifer. When I read the symptoms I recognized what I had witnessed from their death. The worst for me was having to see them suffer and die in that way

 

[Miss Lydia]

No, I didn't even think of having it done :/
I was searching through the duck diseases and I found Riemerella Anatipestifer. When I read the symptoms I recognized what I had witnessed from their death. The worst for me was having to see them suffer and die in that way

I can't imagine how heartbreaking that was. Since then have you had more ducklings hatch?

 

[Queenandking13]

Yes I haved, I even adopted one but I released her with her brothers when she turned 1 month.

 

[mylittlehippie]

I have two ducklings that were hatched on August 11 so they are just over two weeks old. One has not grown a spec since I got them last week. The other has doubled in size. The small one also flipps over constantly and can't get up. She eats and drinks normally and is pooping fine. She seems to have a small growth on the side of her head but besides that seems healthy except the constant flipping and small size. These are my first ducklings as my other ducks were obtained as adults. Is this something that she'll grow out of or is it a matter of time before she dies? Thanks for any help.

 

[salisburyfarm]

When I first hatched my ducklings one of them wasn't doing to well and was weaker than the other ones so I put a pinch of sugar in their water for the first 2 weeks to give him a boost! U could also try elctrolits maybe that would help. I don't know what to say about the growth that could be anything just monitor he or she for discomfort or infection. Although the growth could have something to do with the flipping and slipping. Hope this helped

 

[mylittlehippie]

Thanks. Ill try the sugar. Yeah i just thought it was weird because usually when I have had a chick that didn't grow and seemed unsteady they also had other signs of illness like not eating or drinking or having problems pooping and she doesn't seem to so Ill just keep watching her I guess.

 

[Amiga]

I have two ducklings that were hatched on August 11 so they are just over two weeks old. One has not grown a spec since I got them last week. The other has doubled in size. The small one also flipps over constantly and can't get up. She eats and drinks normally and is pooping fine. She seems to have a small growth on the side of her head but besides that seems healthy except the constant flipping and small size. These are my first ducklings as my other ducks were obtained as adults. Is this something that she'll grow out of or is it a matter of time before she dies? Thanks for any help.

This sounds like B vitamin deficiency - particularly niacin. Here is my writeup. Please get them both on supplements. What do they get for food?

Here is my writeup on B vitamin supplements.


You have some options.

I would go with brewer's yeast. Forgive me for using capital letters, but for anyone else who may casually look over this thread, NOT baking yeast, NOT winemaking yeast. Brewer's yeast is a nutritional supplement and it provides niacin and a few other vitamins.

Generally, folks who supplement with brewer’s yeast use a tablespoon per cup of food.

Ducklings need about three times the niacin chicks do. And some ducklings get leg problems or seizures if they don't have enough niacin.

If you cannot find the brewer's yeast, or if you happen to have (here come the capital letters again, please forgive me) PLAIN niacin - NOT no-flush, NOT timed release, then dissolve 150 mg niacin per gallon of water for the duckling’s drinking water.

Another approach is to use B Complex capsules, and use the B3 - niacin - levels as a guide. Again, 150 mg B3 per gallon of drinking water.


Keep the little one on the supplements for about 8 weeks.

Sometimes it only takes a few days to see improvement.

You can also see how it went for Qwackers and Bentley from these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857143/treating-wry-neck-in-crested-duckling-edited-title

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/761308/peking-duckling-with-crooked-neck-help


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Have you read the Raising Ducklings sticky?

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711