Lethargic duckling with neck contracted against body

[astrickler]

I have an approximately 6 week old pekin duckling. She was perfectly fine yesterday. Today her neck is contracted against her body and she seems pretty lethargic. I tried extending her neck and she almost acted as if she was in pain. I’ve tried getting her into a vet but nobody can get her in till Saturday! Any ideas and input would be appreciated!

 

[PioneerChicks]

Wry neck maybe? Can she drink or eat? If it is wry neck, untwist her head, make sure you untwist it the right way, and then dip her beak in water for a drink. Give her sunflower seeds. You might even want to separate her to lower stress.

 

[PioneerChicks]

Look up pics of wry neck and see if that is it. One of my chicks had wry neck, and I think ducks can get it too.
you might want to ask Miss Lydia, the duck expert, to help.

 

[DuckyDonna]

@Miss Lydia @casportpony will know what to do!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d like to see a pic first. But I don’t think I’d twist her neck at all. Neck sunk into her body not twisted?

 

[astrickler]

Her neck is not twisted, she just has it contracted against her body and does not want to extend it. She was laying next to the water bowl sipping water so at least I know she’s drinking some. She was with 2 other ducklings that are 1 week older than her (but they are smaller) and they are fine. She is separated now and in my bathroom.

 

[katiebrock]

This happened to one of my ducks and she got a little better over the course of a few days but then never really fully recovered. She almost acted like her neck was sore.

 

[astrickler]

@Miss Lydia
Here is how she is holding her neck. I just got home and apparently she had fallen over on her back and couldn’t get back up on her own. What could be causing this???

 

[Miss Lydia]

Is a vet an option? tell us what you feed and do they have access to the outside? Any chance she could have eaten something toxic stagnant water, gotten into anything rotten? Never any problems till now? have you given any vitamin supplements like niacin or b complex?

 

[astrickler]

@Miss Lydia
Just last week that had been put outside, but they are not free ranging. They are in a large cage with straw. The are currently on a grower feed. I took them off the 20% protein feed to a 16% because one was getting angel wing. I have not supplemented them with any vitamins. I added alfalfa pellets recently due to the angel wing in another duckling. I’ve tried getting to the vet, but put of all the vets in my area that see ducks none of them are available until Saturday. This is my 4th set of ducklings (I currently have 16 ducks) and have never had this before.