Injured duck help

[Luv Ducks]

I have 5 of my females separated from the drakes right now. One is pretty chewed up on her head. I may have to keep them like this until Fall and may have to add more females if they start getting roughed up too. We have to protect our girls.

My two huge Rouen drakes are starting to get feisty and my friend is not taking my drakes now until late July. If I see them hurting my females they will be separated until she can come and get them. They have gotten sooooo big!!! My little Calls try to get on my girls but at least don't hurt them any. They will stay for sure. You are so right Miss Lydia, we surely do have to protect our girls. I could have 10 more hens out there but they seem to like to pick their ones they like the most and go after them. The Calls prefer my Mallard and Khaki girls only. Maybe they don't go after my Runner girls because they can't catch them, lol.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My two huge Rouen drakes are starting to get feisty and my friend is not taking my drakes now until late July. If I see them hurting my females they will be separated until she can come and get them. They have gotten sooooo big!!! My little Calls try to get on my girls but at least don't hurt them any. They will stay for sure. You are so right Miss Lydia, we surely do have to protect our girls. I could have 10 more hens out there but they seem to like to pick their ones they like the most and go after them. The Calls prefer my Mallard and Khaki girls only. Maybe they don't go after my Runner girls because they can't catch them, lol.

That maybe true then Runners are fast. lol

 

[bjwil]

I'm not certain if I'm following correct protocol in putting my concern here. If not, please advise.

I'm new to ducks and have recently adopted two Pekin ducks from a young friend, a year old drake and a two-month old hen. I've had them for a few weeks. The hen was fine when she came here but appears to have injured a leg or a hip, I'm guessing from a mating effort as her head showed some activity as well. She can no longer stand up or walk and her ankles are hot to the touch when I pick her up. To make it worse, when I approached to pick her up the other night, he freaked out and ran over the top of her. He weighs about three times what she does and I could tell it hurt her. I've been giving her children's ibuprofen each evening when I put her to bed. I keep her in a kennel carrier at night so he can't have access to her and keep an eye on him during the day. I take her to the pool a couple of times each day and I feed her separately by hand, put electrolytes in her evening water. Their prior owners fed them chicken feed so that was her start in life. I feed Purina duck food which has 65 ppm niacin but I'm reading that she's going to need more than that if she's going to heal. Herewith my confusion: there's a ton of different niacin products out there! Brewer's yeast, niacin capsules, injectable liquid. What's the best source of niacin in this instance and how much? Does she need something in addition? Should I be doing anything to help her that I'm not already doing?

 

[Luv Ducks]

I'm not certain if I'm following correct protocol in putting my concern here. If not, please advise.

I'm new to ducks and have recently adopted two Pekin ducks from a young friend, a year old drake and a two-month old hen. I've had them for a few weeks. The hen was fine when she came here but appears to have injured a leg or a hip, I'm guessing from a mating effort as her head showed some activity as well. She can no longer stand up or walk and her ankles are hot to the touch when I pick her up. To make it worse, when I approached to pick her up the other night, he freaked out and ran over the top of her. He weighs about three times what she does and I could tell it hurt her. I've been giving her children's ibuprofen each evening when I put her to bed. I keep her in a kennel carrier at night so he can't have access to her and keep an eye on him during the day. I take her to the pool a couple of times each day and I feed her separately by hand, put electrolytes in her evening water. Their prior owners fed them chicken feed so that was her start in life. I feed Purina duck food which has 65 ppm niacin but I'm reading that she's going to need more than that if she's going to heal. Herewith my confusion: there's a ton of different niacin products out there! Brewer's yeast, niacin capsules, injectable liquid. What's the best source of niacin in this instance and how much? Does she need something in addition? Should I be doing anything to help her that I'm not already doing?

With this age and size difference, I would not let him near her at all. I had a Muscovy years ago that a male made her limp trying to over mate her. I finally rehomed them. I am not sure of the amount to use but I know people with Pekins use Brewer's yeast and also put the injectable liquid in their water or on their food. Miss Lydia can give you advice for that. Hopefully she will see this post and be able to advise you. I hope your Hen gets better soon.

 

[Miss Lydia]

She is too young to be mated period usually mating age is 4 months on so def keep them separated while she is still young and healing. Make it so they can be side by side if possible they need each other she doesn't need to be mated.
As for Adding niacin when one already has an issue like lameness The Liquid B Complex is the best to get them up again. TSC sells one called Durvet Liquid B Complex it will say injectable but we use it orally, just take a ml and put it over a tasty small amount of treat. Make sure she gets full dose. Keep her quiet and resting so her leg back ankles can heal. Water therapy is another good way to keep the muscles strong and take pressure off the legs and back. Being you have pekins and bless you for taking them in they most likely will need niacin supplements all their lives I use Nutritional yeast some use brewers yeast I think the NY is better from all I have read. But the liquid B Complex is what you want now. it works faster and better once one is already having problems.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nutritional-yeast-vs-brewers-yeast.1393856/I use a 1 ml syringe without a needle to draw it out some use the syringe with an needle.

 

[bjwil]

With this age and size difference, I would not let him near her at all. I had a Muscovy years ago that a male made her limp trying to over mate her. I finally rehomed them. I am not sure of the amount to use but I know people with Pekins use Brewer's yeast and also put the injectable liquid in their water or on their food. Miss Lydia can give you advice for that. Hopefully she will see this post and be able to advise you. I hope your Hen gets better soon.

Thank you, thank you! I'm also hoping Miss Lydia will respond but your comments and advice make sense to me so I'm going with them. I do appreciate it.

 

[bjwil]

She is too young to be mated period usually mating age is 4 months on so def keep them separated while she is still young and healing. Make it so they can be side by side if possible they need each other she doesn't need to be mated.
As for Adding niacin when one already has an issue like lameness The Liquid B Complex is the best to get them up again. TSC sells one called Durvet Liquid B Complex it will say injectable but we use it orally, just take a ml and piut it over a tasty small amount of treat. Make sure she gets full dose. Keep her quiet and resting so her leg back ankles can heal. Water therapy is another good way to keep the muscles strong and take pressure off the legs and back. Being you have pekins and bless you for taking them in they most likely will need niacin supplements all their lives I use Nutritional yeast some use brewers yeast I think the NY is better from all I have read. But the liquid B Complex is what you want now. it works faster and better once one is already having problems.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nutritional-yeast-vs-brewers-yeast.1393856/I use a 1 ml syringe with out a needle to draw it out some use the syringe with an needle.
View attachment 3877275

Thank you, Miss Lydia. I hoped I'd hear from you. Will get the B complex and nutritional yeast tomorrow. And sending that boy to a monastery for the foreseeable future!

 

[Luv Ducks]

Thank you, thank you! I'm also hoping Miss Lydia will respond but your comments and advice make sense to me so I'm going with them. I do appreciate it.

You are most welcome. I am glad that Miss Lydia replied for you.

 

[Luv Ducks]

Thank you, Miss Lydia. I hoped I'd hear from you. Will get the B complex and nutritional yeast tomorrow. And sending that boy to a monastery for the foreseeable future!

Good idea!! LOL

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have one I'd like to send to the monastery too maybe they can go together. lol