Help me! New with ducklings! Wry Neck??

Thank you for the advice. I have a friend who has owned ducks for years and she said there could also be a problem neurologically. She said the duckling might not know the difference between up and down? I’m not sure if this is a real thing or not, i’m still convinced it could be wry neck but am not sure as i’m not too familiar with ducklings. The ducklings have not been outside at all and have been in their container since we’ve gotten them, other than us holding them. Do you think they could have gotten into something while they were under the care of Tractor Supply? In the picture below you can see that is how her neck is constantly and you can see her side is all wet from stumbling into the water dish. When she walks she waddles backwards and her head drags with her even lower then it is in the picture. You can also see the significant size difference in the two girls. I’ve dried her off the best i could and put her back to cuddle with her sister and hope for the best for this little one. Thank you everyone for all the advice. View attachment 1742138
Yes it can be neurological. That is good thinking about them getting into something at TSC. I would have never thought that. Maybe....TSc doesn't have that great a record for taking care of there poultry very well. The best that you can do now is just watch her...continue to give her the vitamins.....and give her lots of love. She is very cute. Update us tomorrow how she is doing. :hugs
 
I treated two chicks with wry neck in the last six months. Gave both a shot of the cattle b complex, and both recovered in less than two hours. If you don't want to give it by injection, you can give it orally instead.

http://www.poultrydvm.com/condition/thiamin-deficiency
By giving her the shot would her neck begin to straighten out and strengthen? Does the shot work faster or more efficiently then orally? I am counting on my mother and brother to watch her tomorrow as I have work early till night and cannot keep an eye on her every minute like i’ve been. If i have time after work i will buy the cattle b complex and just a normal needle? Do you know if they sell that at TSC?
 
By giving her the shot would her neck begin to straighten out and strengthen? Does the shot work faster or more efficiently then orally? I am counting on my mother and brother to watch her tomorrow as I have work early till night and cannot keep an eye on her every minute like i’ve been. If i have time after work i will buy the cattle b complex and just a normal needle? Do you know if they sell that at TSC?
Have you given injections before? If not, probably best to give it orally. If the wry neck is from a thiamine deficiency you should see improvement fairly quickly whether given orally or by injection.
 
I raise ducks. Thats wry neck that can be treated faster with Niacin. B3. Get it soon and she will recover within a couple of days if no damage. Get you a washcloth and turn the baby opposite direction and allow head to fall naturally onto pillow. This takes pressure off of neck nerves, no risk of suffocation and muscles. Have you ever fell asleep with your head leaning on car door and you wake up and it feels like someone filled your joints with cement? Yow lime that!

Placing a dry washcloth over him like a blanket makes him feel secure and less likely to struggle. Folding the blanket is for kids so they can bond by rubbing them to sleep for a few seconds before covering top. Dont close them up completly.

If you search on this subject within BYC, you will find all sorts of info. Here are my importants..

No deep water dish. THEY MUST HAVE WATER TO SWALLOW FOOD. Without it they choke because they don’t have a good swallow reflex. They grab the dry and then will gulp water. They fill mouth and slug it down. BTW.. they will need a baby pool or larger later or a bucket that they can rinse their nostrils out of put up at night. They are ground rooters and they cant get enough water to get it out with a chicken waterer. Pool will do after feathered and that time is where you will have so much fun with them! Dart under water and having a food time!
They should not get wet until feathers which is usually just about in at 6-8 weeks.
♥️You holding a them a lot and worrying over them will exhaust them and likely cause death.
Put them in bin, heat to 95 degrees and drop 5 degrees every week until even with outside/room temp.
Handling them will also spread germs such as salmonella to kids. Yes they are carriers but with good sense and education, it requires nothing more than hand washing and boots later. In time, the kids will have plenty of time to bond but they need time to recover from birth. Mmm, can imagine how tired you would be if you had to grow and hand deliver yourself? Phew! Lol
No drafts
Blue light instead of red because their eyes are very sensitive much like a blue eye. Too much bright and eyes could be damaged. I buy the led night lights and plug into an extension cord and cover white light with blue painters tape. You may want to tape light to plug because they get loose. Just hang over side and place over food and water then close lid. BTW.. ducks, chickens can be controlled with light. Over food they eat and drink. Thats where I keep mine.
DO NOT FEED MEDICATED CRUMBLES
waterfowl does not require Corid or worming although on the latter we do. Makes good sense if i want them healthy.

They need room. Think a large plastic bin for about 2-3 weeks then you will want something safe for outside. Smelly and poop time.

What else? Lol I am rambling. I hope this helps and good luck with them. One more thing,

Never place waterfowl with chickens.
Coccidiosis comes from wet ground which chickens can’t have unless you maintenance treat.

Chickens can pick up salmonella from waterfowl. People sell eggs and someone will come down sick and blame it on the eggs. If you go to egg person’s house they probably have them cohabiting. Not good.

Can’t remember how old they are but also know that there is a chance baby wont bounce back if its been a few days. For the kids you know, but give it a decent two weeks and if no improvement it doesn’t sound good.

Good luck and welcome to ducks! They are overwhelming at first but then they become the easiest to care for.
 
I raise ducks. Thats wry neck that can be treated faster with Niacin. B3. Get it soon and she will recover within a couple of days if no damage. Get you a washcloth and turn the baby opposite direction and allow head to fall naturally onto pillow. This takes pressure off of neck nerves, no risk of suffocation and muscles. Have you ever fell asleep with your head leaning on car door and you wake up and it feels like someone filled your joints with cement? Yow lime that!

Placing a dry washcloth over him like a blanket makes him feel secure and less likely to struggle. Folding the blanket is for kids so they can bond by rubbing them to sleep for a few seconds before covering top. Dont close them up completly.

If you search on this subject within BYC, you will find all sorts of info. Here are my importants..

No deep water dish. THEY MUST HAVE WATER TO SWALLOW FOOD. Without it they choke because they don’t have a good swallow reflex. They grab the dry and then will gulp water. They fill mouth and slug it down. BTW.. they will need a baby pool or larger later or a bucket that they can rinse their nostrils out of put up at night. They are ground rooters and they cant get enough water to get it out with a chicken waterer. Pool will do after feathered and that time is where you will have so much fun with them! Dart under water and having a food time!
They should not get wet until feathers which is usually just about in at 6-8 weeks.
♥️You holding a them a lot and worrying over them will exhaust them and likely cause death.
Put them in bin, heat to 95 degrees and drop 5 degrees every week until even with outside/room temp.
Handling them will also spread germs such as salmonella to kids. Yes they are carriers but with good sense and education, it requires nothing more than hand washing and boots later. In time, the kids will have plenty of time to bond but they need time to recover from birth. Mmm, can imagine how tired you would be if you had to grow and hand deliver yourself? Phew! Lol
No drafts
Blue light instead of red because their eyes are very sensitive much like a blue eye. Too much bright and eyes could be damaged. I buy the led night lights and plug into an extension cord and cover white light with blue painters tape. You may want to tape light to plug because they get loose. Just hang over side and place over food and water then close lid. BTW.. ducks, chickens can be controlled with light. Over food they eat and drink. Thats where I keep mine.
DO NOT FEED MEDICATED CRUMBLES
waterfowl does not require Corid or worming although on the latter we do. Makes good sense if i want them healthy.

They need room. Think a large plastic bin for about 2-3 weeks then you will want something safe for outside. Smelly and poop time.

What else? Lol I am rambling. I hope this helps and good luck with them. One more thing,

Never place waterfowl with chickens.
Coccidiosis comes from wet ground which chickens can’t have unless you maintenance treat.

Chickens can pick up salmonella from waterfowl. People sell eggs and someone will come down sick and blame it on the eggs. If you go to egg person’s house they probably have them cohabiting. Not good.

Can’t remember how old they are but also know that there is a chance baby wont bounce back if its been a few days. For the kids you know, but give it a decent two weeks and if no improvement it doesn’t sound good.

Good luck and welcome to ducks! They are overwhelming at first but then they become the easiest to care for.
Thank you so much for all the information! I will stop with medicated crumbles, what do you recommend for another type of food to give them? Trying not to handle too much because i don’t want to exhaust her but she keeps stumbling into the waterer and freaking out because she’s wet and ends up on her back, so i take a small washcloth and dry her up and put her back to cuddle with the other duckling. If you have any more information for a first timer like me that would be helpful, please let me know. I really appreciate every single reply i get. ❤️
 
Get an all flock crumble like Purina Flock Raiser that has the proper amount of Niacin in it for water fowl. But instead of plain niacin supplement I would go with what @casportpony rec and get the liquid B complex with having wry neck your duckling needs all the B's not just niacin.
If your holding your duckling and she isn't freaking out then by all means cuddle her. Best time in the world to bond with them is when they are little. and you def want to help when one is on it's back and can't get up. Spending time with your ducklings is very important to building trust it doesn't always have to be holding but just sitting and being there with them, they may just climb right up on you.
 
Thats wry neck that can be treated faster with Niacin. B3.
Can you show us a credible source that says wry neck is treated with niacin? I ask because everything I have read says to use thiamine, not niacin.
DO NOT FEED MEDICATED CRUMBLES
Ducks can be fed chick feed that contains amprolium, though something like an all flock feed formulated for ducklings would be better.
Feeding Ducklings Medicated Feed - The Myths and the Truth
 
Can you show us a credible source that says wry neck is treated with niacin? I ask because everything I have read says to use thiamine, not niacin.

Ducks can be fed chick feed that contains amprolium, though something like an all flock feed formulated for ducklings would be better.
Feeding Ducklings Medicated Feed - The Myths and the Truth
So for the cattle b complex, how much do i give her? Is it for cows and is it okay to give her something for a cow?
 

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