I don't know where to start, my duck isn't fairing well

[BrendonH]

I'll start with that my pekin is bow legged. I originally thought it was due to a niacin defficiency, but after a month of supplementing it I have yet to see any progress. I'm now wondering if I could be an infection, because it's legs felt slightly warm this evening. What do you think? And what do you suggest?

Next all of my ducks got into some mud the other day and Im having problem getting it all off their bellies. Is there a special soap I need to get? Are they going to have wet feather now?

Last what kind of dewormer should I use for them? ( they are past due for worming) Could this cause the bow legs?

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I'm really sorry. If they have access to water they will clean up. They have the worst feathers for getting them dirty.

 

[GrannyCarol]

Do not soap your ducks, it will remove the oils that make their feathers waterproof. Just give them something to bathe in and let them take care of themselves. If their feathers are good and the oils haven't been removed, they would love a small pond (or a contractor's concrete mixing tub in the winter) to take a bath in and would soon be happy and clean. If they are molting or are babies just growing feathers, then its going to be more of a problem, but using soap on them will make them worse, not better.

How old is your Pekin? What do you feed it? How bad is the bow leg?

What makes you think your Pekin needs worming? I almost never worm my ducks and wouldn't unless I had reason to believe they had a problem. In general ducks are very hardy and don't need a lot of worming.

 

[BrendonH]

It is a little over a month old. I can't think of the feed brand but it's an 18% crumble. It's getting pretty bad, but it's still able to walk.

I was told the they needed to be wormed at least twice a year

 

[HeatherLynn]

Lower the feed a bit and limit it. I started using a 16% feed and stopped giving them free choice in how much feed they ate. Pekins are little piggies honestly. They will eat themselves bowlegged apparently cause most of mine were having issues. I thought niacin but treatment didn't help. I thought genetic but also did as I suggested above to just make being poor gentic bowlegged waddlers easier. They slimmed down a tad and their growth slowed down. All but one improved. Most of them you cannot even tell they had an issue.


I think Pekins would be the perfect ducks honestly to make humane fois gras. They will stuff themselves willingly. No funneling food down their gullets. Just sit it out and they will gorge till they have no more room and then do it again a couple hours later. Pigs with sings I swear.

Muddy feathers i put mine in the bathtub. I do not shampoo them or soap them up. Just clean water in the tub. Sometimes if they are super filthy I will change the water mid bath.

 

[Amiga]

I agree with Granny Carol on the worming - I have not, in almost two years, needed to worm my ducks. If they live in a (relatively) clean environment and have good nutrition, they are not that susceptible, in my experience. I live in New England, so maybe that makes a difference.

I also agree that just some clean water is enough to keep ducks clean, in my experience.

Please let us know just what you are feeding. That may help give some ideas.

Keep checking the duck's legs - is there any swelling in the joints? What's the weather like there?

I have been told that wet feather is caused by external parasites, not dirt.

 

[GrannyCarol]

Any chance you could put up a picture? I'm wondering just how bowlegged - it is normal for a duckling to be a little bowlegged or to toe in. Is your duckling fat? You could cut back its feed or add more greens or rolled oats (about 1/5 of the diet, not too much).

At a little over a month old, I'd not be concerned about internal parasites at all. I've had to deal with external parasites a couple of times - when we had a really cold winter a bunch of starlings came to drink our thawed water and left behind lice. That gave me feather issues and a couple got run down before I figured it out.

 

[BrendonH]

The weather is starting to turn cold but it was still warm whenever it started.

Yes it is pretty fat. I will try to get a picture put up with the next couple days.

And thanks for the info on worming and the feathers its quite a relief not having to worry about that.

 

[BrendonH]

Its officially an emergency he was not able to lift himself up today! im so worried for him!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
I'm so sorry to hear, If you could get some Nutri Drench, I know I keep talking about this stuff but it is really great stuff. It may help.
http://barnyardsandbackyards.org/2010/09/18/review-nutri-drench/