Help needed - Duck w/deformed foot

[HeatherKellyB]

My SO picked up the last 4 ducks from a local TSC this evening. I was told that they're approximately a week old. These are our first ducks, so this is basically new to me, except for the few bits of info that crosses over from chicken keeping. When my daughter & I pulled them out of the box, I noticed this one has a deformed foot. I remember a thread about newly hatched chicks with a deformed foot was treated with placing the foot down properly on tape & then placing another piece of tape on top for a few days. Is this something that will help this little duck? Is there anything I can do to help this lil sweetheart?

 

[DuckyDonna]

Oh, sweet little thing. I am not the expert but @Miss Lydia and @casportpony are.

I do think that they will tell you to get vitamin B-complex from Tractor Supply and start it right away. 1ml over something like mealworms, watermelon or anything they will gobble right up. this is what the bottle looks like. It's in the cattle stuff and it's the same thing, the label is just different.

we need to wait for them to tell you the rest of what you need to do.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Thank you so much for replying! I am familiar with the folks you tagged as they're always amazingly helpful heroes to so many of us! Thanks again for replying. I really appreciate your advice and the pictures. That's going to be so helpful

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Just in case it's important information, I've started them on Purina Flock Raisers (seems like I recall a thread about ducks and medicated feed being a NO NO) and given them chick grit, as well as water with both of the Sav a chick powders mixed in (just in case of stress from traveling to a new home)

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

Make sure to get them some vitamin b like mentioned above.

But most importantly, take some masking tape or bandaid and use it to flatten the feet. Like in this photo

Leave on for a few days, and check periodically on the progress.

We did this with 3 duckling whose feet looked exactly like yours and this worked wonders!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Make sure to get them some vitamin b like mentioned above.

But most importantly, take some masking tape or bandaid and use it to flatten the feet. Like in this photo
View attachment 1879162

Leave on for a few days, and check periodically on the progress.

We did this with 3 duckling whose feet looked exactly like yours and this worked wonders!

Thank you! This is wonderful news! I will definitely get the meds/vitamins recommended and get this little ones foot taped up!

 

[HeatherKellyB]

The tape method will work on a duck that's a week old? I don't have a bandaid that has enough sticky on it to cover the bottom of the foot. The other foot is almost the size of quarter (almost!) when it's laid properly. I do have some 1 inch cotton first aid tape, some 2 inch transparent first aid tape, & a good size sheet of moleskin foam padding (cut to size, has a sticky side, used for foot care). Will this work as long as the foot is taped down correctly? I'll get the vit B complex tomorrow morning, but I will be so grateful if someone can confirm the dosage that I need to give and how often. Thank you all so very much
@casportpony @Miss Lydia

 

[Miss Lydia]

1 ml a day over a tasty treat just enough treat that the duckling gets the full dose. And yes use the mole skin and the tape you have. Beautiful little duckling.

 

[quackiemama]

I had a little runt that had a foot just curled under and she was not going to make it. I followed the advice from @Miss Lydia regarding the B Complex and I made a shoe out of pipe cleaner then covered in painters tape (so it did not stick to her skin) and then covered in a waterproof bandaid. And we had daily warm water time where she started using her foot. I could see it start to open up after a few days. Now she is perfectly normal, healthy and happy. That is her flapping her wings in the last pic

 

[HeatherKellyB]

1 ml a day over a tasty treat just enough treat that the duckling gets the full dose. And yes use the mole skin and the tape you have. Beautiful little duckling.

I am not having success with getting my duckling to eat anything that I've tried to soak in the 1ml of vitamin b complex. I've tried grinding up a bit of flock raisers and drenching it, I've tried a fruit mix (a chicken treat that I purchased & the back of the bag states that it's safe for ducks) that is like the texture of cornmeal soaked with vitB, mixing both of the previously mentioned items together with a meal worm mixed in and there is no interest. Does anyone have any suggestions or ways to get this vit in this baby? Also, do I need to be giving this to all of the ducklings? We now have the original 4, that are just over a week old and then 2 others that are 3 or 4 days old. I can't thank everyone here enough for the invaluable assistance and kindness shared with me. I am truly grateful