Help!! Week Old Duckling not walking...

[bex1983]

My week old duckling suddenly isn't walking. He is alert and he can get up and move to and from the food, but not stand up tall and run or walk. Is it a niacin deficiency? I have them on Mana Pro Duck Starter/Grower because it was the only actual duckling food I could find locally, so it is supposed to have niacin in it, enough for ducklings. They have food and water in their brooder 24/7....is he just growing too fast?

What should I do? To do something quickly should I just get some of the Duvet Vitamin B for cattle swine and sheep? I think I saw someone say 1ml on a treat....but if I do that, how often should I do it? Also, should I move away from the Mana Pro since it has 22% protein? I planned on switching to something lower at 2 weeks, but haven't found what that should be. I know Family Farm & Home uses Purina Flock Raiser, but ultimately I want to move to non gmo and organic since we will be eating the eggs and that is how we eat as a family.

I also notice all of their legs peeling quite a bit, which I assume is normal with growth, but maybe I shouldnt offer feed 24/7?

Sidenote, he is not alone, until last night we had 9 all together, friends picked up 2 so we now have 7...These friends, I found out, feed only 3 times a day and their 3 week ducklings are the same size as my 1 week ducks...

@WVduckchick

 

[DuckyDonna]

Get over to Tractor Supply and get that B-complex! It will be with the cattle meds and the bottle will look like these. They recently changed the label but they are the same thing. 1ml over meal worms or something you know they will gobble up.

They are very young so keep feed and water 24/7 available for them until they are at least 6 weeks old. Tell your friends that too! I think you should stick with that food you're giving them but maybe someone else has another opinion. I am going to tag @Cayuga momma @Texas Kiki @casportpony who are more expert than I am so they will be chiming in soon but I know for sure the B-complex is important so get that started asap!

 

[DuckyDonna]

What breed is your duck? Can you put him him in a warm water bath and see if he can use his little legs? What are you using for bedding in the breeder? Hopefully not cedar.

 

[bex1983]

What breed is your duck? Can you put him him in a warm water bath and see if he can use his little legs? What are you using for bedding in the breeder? Hopefully not cedar.

It is a mutt I believe Rouen dad and White Crested mom. I have pine shavings covered with paper towel (so they don't eat the shavings and easier to clean out of a stock tank), and I have their water in a cookie sheet tray with cloth diapers covered by shelf liner to help keep the water contained. I remove all old paper towel and put new down in the morning and layer the paper towel over the dirty ones throughout the day so they aren't laying in poop all the time Maybe that's wrong...

I will try the bath. He uses his legs but not standing straight up like the others and he lays to eat and drink while the others stand up and just lean in...

 

[bex1983]

Get over to Tractor Supply and get that B-complex! It will be with the cattle meds and the bottle will look like these. They recently changed the label but they are the same thing. 1ml over meal worms or something you know they will gobble up.

They are very young so keep feed and water 24/7 available for them until they are at least 6 weeks old. Tell your friends that too! I think you should stick with that food you're giving them but maybe someone else has another opinion. I am going to tag @Cayuga momma @Texas Kiki @casportpony who are more expert than I am so they will be chiming in soon but I know for sure the B-complex is important so get that started asap!

View attachment 1785201

Thanks, I have told them they need to keep feed and water in their brooder 24/7 but they say they like to cut down on poop...ugh. I really wasn't wanting to give away any of my ducklings, however, they are the ones who gave me the eggs for free so I didn't really have a choice. I also noticed they feed just chick feed and had never even heard that ducks needed extra niacin...They have 3 adult ducks and have never ever done anything differently and have had no problems....super frustrating.

 

[chickens really]

Feed and water 24/7 till about 5 weeks. Excercise daily is a must to build strong leg muscles.

 

[DuckyDonna]

It is a mutt I believe Rouen dad and White Crested mom. I have pine shavings covered with paper towel (so they don't eat the shavings and easier to clean out of a stock tank), and I have their water in a cookie sheet tray with cloth diapers covered by shelf liner to help keep the water contained. I remove all old paper towel and put new down in the morning and layer the paper towel over the dirty ones throughout the day so they aren't laying in poop all the time Maybe that's wrong...

I will try the bath. He uses his legs but not standing straight up like the others and he lays to eat and drink while the others stand up and just lean in...

I think you are doing just right with your brooder. It's just that sometimes the little ones just need more niacin than what is in the food even if the food has the "required" amount in it. Sometimes not, but you don't want to risk it and it's not like it's a big deal to just do it.

Those other people have just been lucky so far.

 

[bex1983]

Feed and water 24/7 till about 5 weeks. Excercise daily is a must to build strong leg muscles.

Thanks. They are gotten out a minimum of 2 times a day by the kids to run around in our school room (outside once...it just doesn't want to get warm here in Michigan ) and they are in a 6 foot stock tank with their light at one end and food and water at the other, so plenty of running back and forth.

The youngest is now a week old today so I was planning on letting them have their first swim today or tomorrow...

 

[bex1983]

I think you are doing just right with your brooder. It's just that sometimes the little ones just need more niacin than what is in the food even if the food has the "required" amount in it. Sometimes not, but you don't want to risk it and it's not like it's a big deal to just do it.

Those other people have just been lucky so far.

I agree, they have just been lucky. So should I do the cattle stuff on treats for this guy and just add brewers yeast or something to the community food or can I use the cattle stuff in the community water and if so how much?

 

[chickens really]

Thanks. They are gotten out a minimum of 2 times a day by the kids to run around in our school room (outside once...it just doesn't want to get warm here in Michigan ) and they are in a 6 foot stock tank with their light at one end and food and water at the other, so plenty of running back and forth.

Picking grasses like dandelion and other grasses definitely helps too.