Inbred Ducks

[swarner45]

I was given several ducklings last summer, I raised them only losing 2. Now that they are older I have started having trouble with them getting down and then dying, they get down and can't walk , they lose weight. I thought they had bumble foot, but could never find anything to match what I saw. I have 2 vets working on trying to help me figure out what is going on. A friend asked me who I had gotten them from, when I told him he said they were imbred. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help them survive? I know I need to get new blood in them and not let them inbreed anymore than they already have. Please help.

 

[Speceider]

Does not sound like inbreeding to me, usually inbreeding affects hatch rates and duckling survival. My guess would be toxins or poor nutrition.

Clint

 

[swarner45]

I feed corn, scratch grains, and laying mash. They pay eggs good, but I have not gotten any to hatch yet. What do you feel I need to feed them?

 

[swarner45]

Also, what kind of toxin would you think of? I have chickens and turkeys in pens next to the ducks and other than the chickens are not laying very well right now they all seem fine.

 

[Speceider]

I

I feed corn, scratch grains, and laying mash. They pay eggs good, but I have not gotten any to hatch yet. What do you feel I need to feed them?

I would not feed more than 10 percentscratch and corn, add 5 to 10 percent of a Gamebird feed to up the protein content and add Brewers yeast to increase the niacin.

Clint

 

[Speceider]

Also, what kind of toxin would you think of? I have chickens and turkeys in pens next to the ducks and other than the chickens are not laying very well right now they all seem fine.

There are several, the vets should be able to check visually and with blood work. Hard to do much from a description. Poorly laying chickens really make me think it is nutritional.

Clint

 

[swarner45]

I guess we need to change feed companies. What do we need to add for chickens. I feed them the same as the ducks and turkeys. Want to make sure everyone is healthy.

 

[buff goose guy]

[COLOR=333333]I was given several ducklings last summer, I raised them only losing 2. Now that they are older I have started having trouble with them getting down and then dying, they get down and can't walk , they lose weight. I thought they had bumble foot, but could never find anything to match what I saw. I have 2 vets working on trying to help me figure out what is going on. A friend asked me who I had gotten them from, when I told him he said they were imbred. I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help them survive? I know I need to get new blood in them and not let them inbreed anymore than they already have. Please help.[/COLOR]

Only thing to really do is get some more of a whole different pool and breed those with the ones of yours that are the most normal .

And keep getting more genepools in until they look normal and act normal .

 

[Speceider]

I guess we need to change feed companies. What do we need to add for chickens. I feed them the same as the ducks and turkeys. Want to make sure everyone is healthy.

Problem is all those need different nutrients.. ..for example, the National Research Council suggests a 15 percent protein for layers on a 2900 kcal/kg diet, breeder turkeys 14 percent , and ducks 15....sounds good except turkeys need .5 percent leucine , while ducks need .76 percent. No one feed is ideal I would suggest using one of the all flocks feed as a compromise.

Clint

 

[swarner45]

Most of this problem started when we got this new laying mash. I just sent my husband to get the tag off it to see what's going on with it,.