Help with hunchback pekin!

[Releasethequakin]

hi, I was wondering if anyone could help me out with a pekin that seems to have a “hunchback”. His hocks are slightly swollen and he his slightly bow legged also. We assumed this was a niacin deficiency so we have been giving them sav a chick electrolytes and have not noticed a change in this duckling. He seems to lay down a little more than the other ducks but doesn’t seem to have a hard time getting around. He is currently with 11 other ducklings who are doing great and have had zero issues. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.
I think I should mention they are eating mannapro brand duckling starter and grower. I will try to get pictures of his hump back but it’s difficult as he’s either moving or laying down.

 

[Releasethequakin]

I think I should also mention that this duckling appears to be eating and drinking just a much as the other ducklings are.

 

[ruthhope]

"We assumed this was a niacin deficiency, so we have been giving them save a chick electrolytes and have not noticed a change in this duckling"
It may well be niacin deficiency but save a chick electrolytes are not the way to treat niacin deficiency
You need Durvet High Level Vit B Complex available from Tractor Supplies or on line. It is used orally for ducks [the bottle mentions IV use but that is for other animals]
Your little duckling needs 1ml soaked into a treat everyday to treat a current niacin deficiency
You also need to add extra niacin to your duckling's feed -- pekins often need more than other ducks. I use brewers yeast that I buy from Amazon. 1 tablespoon per cup of crumbles/pellets. Other people use nutritional yeast but it is a lot more expensive and your pekins may need added Niacin throughout their laying years.

 

[picklestheduck]

Yes. I am supplementing my duckling with both nutritional yeast and Vitamin B complex. If the duckling won't take it in a treat, put it in their water.

 

[Releasethequakin]

"We assumed this was a niacin deficiency, so we have been giving them save a chick electrolytes and have not noticed a change in this duckling"
It may well be niacin deficiency but save a chick electrolytes are not the way to treat niacin deficiency
You need Durvet High Level Vit B Complex available from Tractor Supplies or on line. It is used orally for ducks [the bottle mentions IV use but that is for other animals]
Your little duckling needs 1ml soaked into a treat everyday to treat a current niacin deficiency
You also need to add extra niacin to your duckling's feed -- pekins often need more than other ducks. I use brewers yeast that I buy from Amazon. 1 tablespoon per cup of crumbles/pellets. Other people use nutritional yeast but it is a lot more expensive and your pekins may need added Niacin throughout their laying years.

Thank you so much for the reply! I will get the things tomorrow and start correctly treating my duckling. Should I use meal worms as a treat? Also, how long should it take for me to notice the duckling improving?

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you so much for the reply! I will get the things tomorrow and start correctly treating my duckling. Should I use meal worms as a treat? Also, how long should it take for me to notice the duckling improving?

Yes try soaked into 2 or 3 mealworms so that you can watch your duckling eat them

If its a niacin deficiency you will see improvement within a week -- possibly as soon as 4 days.
I would add brewer's yeast to the feed of all your pekin ducklings. My two pekin drakes are healthy on duck pellets, but my son's females are laying and often he has to use chicken layer feed [insecure supply of duck layer feed at our local feed store]. So he just uses added brewer's yeast all the time. We notice the difference with one female particularly who gets confusion when she is not getting brewer's yeast. She's such a sweet duck, but she won't come out of the coop when she is not getting niacin she follows the others to the door then turns round goes back in and paces up and down shouting as if she wants the others to come back inside. Her behavior returns to normal in 4-7 days when she gets her brewer's yeast but when my son stopped it, she was back to the confused behavior within a month.

 

[Releasethequakin]

Yes try soaked into 2 or 3 mealworms so that you can watch your duckling eat them

If its a niacin deficiency you will see improvement within a week -- possibly as soon as 4 days.
I would add brewer's yeast to the feed of all your pekin ducklings. My two pekin drakes are healthy on duck pellets, but my son's females are laying and often he has to use chicken layer feed [insecure supply of duck layer feed at our local feed store]. So he just uses added brewer's yeast all the time. We notice the difference with one female particularly who gets confusion when she is not getting brewer's yeast. She's such a sweet duck, but she won't come out of the coop when she is not getting niacin she follows the others to the door then turns round goes back in and paces up and down shouting as if she wants the others to come back inside. Her behavior returns to morning in 4-7 days when she gets her brewer's yeast but when my son stopped it, she was back to the confused behavior within a month.

Thank you so much for your time and help. My pekin ducklings are currently with 4 khaki Campbell’s and 4 Cayuga who are all doing great. Is it ok if they all get the brewers yeast? Is it possible for the ducks that are doing good to get too much niacin? Thanks in advance.

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you so much for your time and help. My pekin ducklings are currently with 4 khaki Campbell’s and 4 Cayuga who are all doing great. Is it ok if they all get the brewers yeast? Is it possible for the ducks that are doing good to get too much niacin? Thanks in advance.

Niacin is water soluble and so ducks or chickens eating more than they need, just excrete it through their kidneys

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Thank you so much for the reply! I will get the things tomorrow and start correctly treating my duckling. Should I use meal worms as a treat? Also, how long should it take for me to notice the duckling improving?

I agree with the other poster
You can also get vitamin E in liquid caps and put in on scrambled eggs. These two combined seem to really help
I do a little egg mix the E in then let him eat then give the rest of the egg so I know he got his vitamin
But when giving treats other then feed you should have chick grit to help them process the feed. In the wild they eat little stones and sand so we need to copy that.