I think my duckling has niacin deficiency

[NoThymeFarmducks]

Hi. I am very new with raising ducks and I got 4 pekin from TSC. I’ve had them about 3weeks but I suspect they are a bit older. 2 days ago I noticed the biggest one seemed lethargic and yesterday i noticed it squatting down on its butt with its legs out front. It also was less interested in eating or drinking. I separated it and brought it in The house. I feed them the dumoor duckling crumbles with niacin. I wasn’t able to get supplements till this morning. Last night it started flopping over on its back and won’t stay righted when we flip her over. I have been able to syringe some water into her beak and I mixed up some electrolytes and probiotic supplements but the only niacin supplement I could find was Niacin Energy Punch for goat. I have given her a few syringes of that now as well. I’m worried because none of the vets in my area will treat “exotics” and I don’t know if what I’m doing is right. I haven’t seen anyone say anything about the duck flipping on their backs. Any advice is welcomed. I’m very worried she won’t make it.

 

[ruthhope]

If Tractor Supply does not have Durvet High level Vit B compound, order it from Amazon. We give it orally to ducks (it's injected when used for cattle) we give 1ml orally every day until at least 1 week after symptoms resolve

Its actually quite dangerous syringing fluid into the bill as it can easily get in the windpipe. I recommend only offering fluids in a cup for your duck to drink out of. Using oral rehudration salts is good

The Vit B should be soaked in a few crumbles or mealworms so you can watch the duck eat them and know it got the dose.

if you have to order Durvet on line, you might be able to get human vit B compound to use until the Durvet arrives. I recently got some from Walmart. The concentration is low and I used 50ml a day which I put in the duck's water.

If the duckling cannot stand, you might make a carrier by cutting leg holes in a cloth tote. Once the duck is sat inside with legs dangling. You can cut a head and butt hole. I recently had a duckling with niacin deficiency that would not keep it's legs through the holes, but would sit inside the tote where it couldn't fall over. I didn't cut any more holes, I used a puppy pad wrapped round the tail end as a sort of ducky diaper

Good luck. Let us know how you get on.

 

[NoThymeFarmducks]

Thank you for the advice. I have been able to get her to drink out of a shallow dish if I wrap her in a towel and place her up right. When she’s wrapped she stops struggling and stays up. She still thrashes to turn over when not wrapped. She has eaten some crumbled food both dry and soaked in the niacin supplement. She seems more alert. Her water has the electrolytes and probiotics and the niacin supplement mixed in. And I have brewers yeast coming tomorrow.

 

[ruthhope]

"if I wrap her in a towel and place her up right."

I am currently caring for 2 rescued jumbo pekins that had acute severe niacin deficiency. They have swim therapy in my bath 3 or 4 times each day and when I lift them out to get dry, they very quickly settle down on my lap and get on with preening, when I put a towel over them. I think the towel makes them think they are under mama duck! It us one of these jumps that will sitcquietly in a fabric tote but won't let its legs dangle down through the holes. Again, I think it feels like being under mama duck when its in the tote