Help required

[Summer_]

It’s somewhat better

 

[Summer_]

It stands like a runner, but then it bends down by the middle Of its back, it’s chest and head downwards

 

[Summer_]

it goes into the house in its coop, which is something it usually doesn’t do. I think it feels safer with a roof over its head, not just wire and a part of a tarp

 

[Luv Ducks]

it goes into the house in its coop, which is something it usually doesn’t do. I think it feels safer with a roof over its head, not just wire and a part of a tarp

I pray that it feels better soon. There has to be something under that porch setting it off. I have no idea what it might be. Hopefully you can get it on a proper diet as others have mentioned and it gets alright. Mine eat the feed I give them because they have had no other choice. They have also always been healthy so I am very fortunate. Good Luck with yours.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

@WannaBeHillBilly ? I read through your old posts about limpy and some of the videos reminded me of my duck. Do you still go on BYC?

I am still here, mostly reading and sometimes posting. - Limpy is still alive and well, even though his last sister duck Katharina died on Wednesday morning.
Helpful hints for your duckies:

• Close off the dang porch! - There is in fact a good chance that something bad for your ducks lurks down there, like a mushroom, a leaking pipe with stagnant muck… Not all ducks show an immediate reaction if they have eaten something bad. Some ducks seem to be able to eat everything without feeling sick. To my sheer horror Blanca Duck gobbled down a whole potato plant and was asking for even more food after that… She can eat everything and in every quantity.
• As the others have already recommended: Reduce the amount of treats in their food. Too much protein not only makes their poop smelly (and i mean SMELLY! ) it can also produce painful gas in their intestines. Try to eat beans together with plenty of onions and some cabbage, then when your belly is full of gas try to exercise…
• Your ducks need a balanced diet, like we humans do. (Just a theory, look at people in the nearest WalMart...) - Best is to feed them a commercial produced food and yes, to stay popular with the birds some treats.
• Niacin and other B-Vitamins are your ducks best friends: You cannot overdose any water soluble vitamins, like B or C. The excess is just peed out, no harm done, so do not worry. I would make a mash out of that vitamin-B preparation with a few treats and have them gobble that down.
• I know i will be crucified again here, but i have made good experiences with some extra calcium for ducklings of medium to heavier breed, like White Layers, Saxony- and my barnyard-surprise ducks. That »don't feed layer-pellets to ducklings, it will destroy their kidneys« is a myth. I had three Momma-Ducks who raised their ducklings with a diet of layer-pellets, flies and cat-food and they all grew up and became feisty ducks and drakes. Momma duck fed her babies what she was eating herself and knew was good food.
• Exercise and being out in the open is very important! - Ducklings must run to train their muscles. They must also be allowed to hunt for insects. Let some potato- or apple-peels go "bad" outside to attract fruit-flies. All of my ducklings were great fly-hunters. If you can, build them a covered pen - i call it a duckling-box - that you can move on a daily base, so they get used to be on natural ground. Just make sure they have enough to drink and shade.
• And once again there will be stiff opposition to my advise: One of the best treats for ducks is dry cat-food. It is much cheaper than for example insect-larvae (meal-worms), easier on the duck's internals (chitin is very hard to digest) and of a constant quality. I've had a bag of soldier-fly larvae that made my ducks sick and stinky. But as with all treats: A treat is a treat and not the main course. You don't want your ducks to end up like Diabeto:

Good Luck! - And don't hesitate to ask questions!

 

[Summer_]

It’s getting slowly better

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

it goes into the house in its coop, which is something it usually doesn’t do. I think it feels safer with a roof over its head, not just wire and a part of a tarp

Every duck feels safer with a roof over her head! - And another advise: Convince your ducks that their house is a safe place. Never drag a duck out of the house "just for fun", never chase them in their house, behave like you're a guest or the housekeeper. It is their house, their castle.
Friday morning the dang dog from my neighbor showed up again on my property. The older, more experienced ducks ran - not for the hills - but for their house. Plenty of hiding places inside to feel safe. The dummies just need to understand that their house is also the place to go during a thunderstorm with hail. Usually they just duck and stay outside.

 

[Summer_]

I am still here, mostly reading and sometimes posting. - Limpy is still alive and well, even though his last sister duck Katharina died on Wednesday morning.
Helpful hints for your duckies:

• Close off the dang porch! - There is in fact a good chance that something bad for your ducks lurks down there, like a mushroom, a leaking pipe with stagnant muck… Not all ducks show an immediate reaction if they have eaten something bad. Some ducks seem to be able to eat everything without feeling sick. To my sheer horror Blanca Duck gobbled down a whole potato plant and was asking for even more food after that… She can eat everything and in every quantity.
• As the others have already recommended: Reduce the amount of treats in their food. Too much protein not only makes their poop smelly (and i mean SMELLY! ) it can also produce painful gas in their intestines. Try to eat beans together with plenty of onions and some cabbage, then when your belly is full of gas try to exercise…
• Your ducks need a balanced diet, like we humans do. (Just a theory, look at people in the nearest WalMart...) - Best is to feed them a commercial produced food and yes, to stay popular with the birds some treats.
• Niacin and other B-Vitamins are your ducks best friends: You cannot overdose any water soluble vitamins, like B or C. The excess is just peed out, no harm done, so do not worry. I would make a mash out of that vitamin-B preparation with a few treas and have them gobble that down.
• I know i will be crucified again here, but i have made good experiences with some extra calcium for ducklings of medium to heavier breed, like White Layers, Saxony- and my barnyard-surprise ducks. That »don't feed layer-pellets to ducklings, it will destroy their kidneys« is a myth. I had three Momma-Ducks who raised their ducklings with a diet of layer-pellets, flies and cat-food and they all grew up and became feisty ducks and drakes. Momma duck fed her babies what she was eating herself and knew was good food.
• Exercise and being out in the open is very important! - Ducklings must run to train their muscles. They must also be allowed to hunt for insects. Let some potato- or apple-peels go "bad" outside to attract fruit-flies. All of my ducklings were great fly-hunters. If you can, build them a covered pen - i call it a duckling-box - that you can move on a daily base, so they get used to be on natural ground. Just make sure they have enough to drink and shade.
• And once again there will be stiff opposition to my advise: One of the best treats for ducks is dry cat-food. It is much cheaper than for example insect-larvae (meal-worms), easier on the duck's internals (chitin is very hard to digest) and of a constant quality. I've had a bag of soldier-fly larvae that made my ducks sick and stinky. But as with all treats: A treat is a treat and not the main course. You don't want your ducks to end up like Diabeto:

Good Luck!

Im sorry about Katharina. I’m putting stuff to cover all the entrances to the porch. He does so much better in the morning, but then it slowly returns. He was doing good, got into the pool by himself, I helped him get out, but he tried preening himself, and it all went downhill… again. It even tried flying before its issues returned. Sorry for short Reply (last reply), I was about to go to sleep. Is it bad that I have Over 100 tabs open about duck information?

 

[Summer_]

Every duck feels safer with a roof over her head! - And another advise: Convince your ducks that their house is a safe place. Never drag a duck out of the house "just for fun", never chase them in their house, behave like you're a guest or the housekeeper. It is their house, their castle.
Friday morning the dang dog from my neighbor showed up again on my property. The older, more experienced ducks ran - not for the hills - but for their house. Plenty of hiding places inside to feel safe. The dummies just need to understand that their house is also the place to go during a thunderstorm with hail. Usually they just duck and stay outside.

They didn’t like their house at first, but he seems to like it. If he goes in, the other duck will follow. If they wanna be in there I let them because if there’s anything outside, they‘ll be smart enough to go in (outside the coop in general)

 

[Summer_]

I helped him preen (or at least dry up a bit) with a napkin. It actually absorbed most of the water on its chest and sides