Help!! Ducks wobbling a lot, not natural

[Isaac 0]

Thanks
What you wrote made me really understand it better

I'm glad to hear that. I would suggest following the treatment in the thread for your bird Please do keep us posted.

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

The feed you're feeding her is for laying chicken hens. So it lacks several nutrients she needs to stay healthy, especially niacin (B3). It also contains too much calcium, for a bird her size. I would recommend switching her to a feed formulated for ducks specifically, or one for all fowl. Several suitable brands would include Purina Flock Raiser, manna-pro, or Mazuri. Make sure to check the instructions on the back and make sure it can be fed to a bird her age.

It does appear she has some niacin deficient signs going on, and 10mg of niacin a day isn't going to do much. For more information regarding dealing with niacin deficiencies in waterfowl, you can read this link.

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

You seem to know a lot about this topic
So since yesterday she’s been wobbling a lot more and randomly just falling on her back. Are those just more signs of he niacin decrease or do you think it might be something else?..

 

[TheOddOneOut]

You seem to know a lot about this topic
So since yesterday she’s been wobbling a lot more and randomly just falling on her back. Are those just more signs of he niacin decrease or do you think it might be something else?..

I think she is having niacin deficiency problems and possibly bone problems from being fed laying hen food.

 

[Isaac 0]

You seem to know a lot about this topic
So since yesterday she’s been wobbling a lot more and randomly just falling on her back. Are those just more signs of he niacin decrease or do you think it might be something else?..

Generally the longer the bird has been fed a niacin deficient diet, the worse they become. That may be the case with your bird, it's hard to tell over the internet. Do you have a video of her falling onto her back? Judging from the original video, I'm very inclined to think she is niacin deficient, but there may be some sort of other problem as well.

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

I think she is having niacin deficiency problems and possibly bone problems from being fed laying hen food.

Do you know anything that might help with the bone problem as well?..

Generally the longer the bird has been fed a niacin deficient diet, the worse they become. That may be the case with your bird, it's hard to tell over the internet. Do you have a video of her falling onto her back? Judging from the original video, I'm very inclined to think she is niacin deficient, but there may be some sort of other problem as well.

Generally the longer the bird has been fed a niacin deficient diet, the worse they become. That may be the case with your bird, it's hard to tell over the internet. Do you have a video of her falling onto her back? Judging from the original video, I'm very inclined to think she is niacin deficient, but there may be some sort of other problem as well.

I can’t send a video right now since I’m not at the house but later I will once I get home

 

[Isaac 0]

Did you ever get a video?

 

[TomCahalan]

Corn is very low in usable niacin, to the point where poor Southerners used to suffer from niacin deficiency because they ate grits, cornbread, and not much else. Do not feed your ducks corn chips, especially if they are young or have a history of niacin deficiency. Corn is junk food for ducks and probably for most other animals. The only reason to give it is to save money, and you don't really save any money in the long run.

I think that your duck will recover completely, but not for a long time. Two months maybe?

That layer feed came from Rural King, right? I know that they carry a quality duck starter. Feed your duckling that until he is fully recovered, and for a few weeks afterwards. Then you can switch him to the Country Road meat bird crumble if he is still under 8 weeks (unlikely), or the all-flock if he is older. Neither the meat bird crumbles nor the all-flock pellets have enough niacin in my experience, so you will still need to supplement.

Here is the product that you should look for at Rural King: https://www.ruralking.com/mannapro-duck-starter--grower-8-pound-1030059

Mealworms are high in niacin, but not so much that they can replace a proper diet. Continue to give them as treats, but make sure that your duckling has grit. Ducks that eat anything other than bagged feed must have grit or they will have digestion problems.

Avoid giving other treats and table scraps until your duckling has fully recovered.

 

[Jaggedbadge123]

Did you ever get a video?

sadly no, when I got home, the duck was upside down and we rushed him to the vet. But he was just suffering so we had to put him down. He’s in a better place now though. I wish I knew what it was, but he was the runt, and it appeared that him wings didn’t grow with him like the other ducks. So we think it could have just been how some runts don’t make it and yeh. But thank you for all the help, and I know that if in the future, if my ducks suffer from niacin deficiency, I will definitely know how to solve it.

 

[Isaac 0]

So sorry for your loss.