Malnourished ducks won't gain weight

[HollowOfWisps]

Many thanks everyone this is very helpful! Nuthatched, I am very familiar with duck anatomy/fat storage etc. - I've processed many ducks for food (mostly wild, I do a lot of hunting) so I know what you mean. A healthy duck will have QUITE a bit more fat than a comparable chicken, usually at least a little around the entire body as well as internally. These birds are very, very lean. They seem to be sort of alright now on muscle mass but there is still no fat buildup. Maybe it just takes a really, really long time to come back from that state of starvation? Anyone else have similar experiences bringing back starving birds?

It sounds like deworming may be the trick!

HollowofWisps, as I said, their feed is 27% protein.

Sorry I was typing when you posted the original comment with the protein content and it did not show up on my feed until I just came back to this thread. What brand is the feed? I'm curious on its nutrient analysis.

 

[duckgreek]

Sorry I was typing when you posted the original comment with the protein content and it did not show up on my feed until I just came back to this thread. What brand is the feed? I'm curious on its nutrient analysis.

No worries! The feed is Bryant 28% Game Bird Crumble. Analysis: Crude Protein 28%, Lysine 1.5%, Methlonine 0.6%, Crude Fat 3.5%, Crude Fiber 5%, Calcium 1.2-1.85%, Phosphorus 0.85%, Salt 0.25-0.75%.

I am on the second day of deworming now with Panacur equine dewormer (same active ingredient and concentration as safeguard). This is just so frustrating. I take back what I said the other day about adequate muscle mass... I felt a few more while I was medicating them and they definitely don't have as much breast muscle as they should.. STILL. After two months of feeding them up! As I said, they just really don't seem to eat much...

 

[Aunt Angus]

No worries! The feed is Bryant 28% Game Bird Crumble. Analysis: Crude Protein 28%, Lysine 1.5%, Methlonine 0.6%, Crude Fat 3.5%, Crude Fiber 5%, Calcium 1.2-1.85%, Phosphorus 0.85%, Salt 0.25-0.75%.

I am on the second day of deworming now with Panacur equine dewormer (same active ingredient and concentration as safeguard). This is just so frustrating. I take back what I said the other day about adequate muscle mass... I felt a few more while I was medicating them and they definitely don't have as much breast muscle as they should.. STILL. After two months of feeding them up! As I said, they just really don't seem to eat much...

I forgot to thank you for saving these babies. They would undoubtedly have perished already.

Just keep troubleshooting. Whatever you're doing for them so far is definitely sustaining them and giving them a chance they didn't have before.