Mature duck niacin deficiency

[Pekin duck mom]

The prognosis of a niacin deficient bird depends on several factors, including age, but also the supportive care the owner is willing to provide in such cases. As I've mentioned earlier in the thread, given the age if your duck, it's unlikely she will completely recover; that is suggested due to the fact as birds age, their bones tend to become more set in place, and not correct by nutritional therapy.

The sores you see developing on her intertarsal joint (hock) is likely to be due to her laying down most of the day. Excessive, prolonged pressure on hard grounds can cause degradation of the superficial epidermis/ these are called hock sores and can become something very serious if environmental changes are not met. The pen area I see in the pictures you provided is mostly dirt which provides little comfort, and alleviation to her legs. Adding shredded hardwood bark, or anything or soft material may help prevent further advancing of the hock sores.

The poor hygiene around her eyes is most likely correlated with the accumulation of debris, and dirt, causing irritation and infection. To prevent this from happening ducks bathe their heads frequently, but ones such as your bird that have preexisting conditions that discourage normal hygienic practices promote such conditions.

By providing a softer housing substrate, ensuring she bathes in deep water daily, and getting her on a correct diet formulated for all poultry, or ducks with the addition of niacin, you may see some improvement in her condition.

Thank you! I understand. I am just trying to help Lucky have the highest quality life possible! I am getting wood chips for the pen. Is that ok? Also, She has been getting in the bath daily and i have been misting her feathers when she isn't in the bath. Is there any medicine that might help her improve? I am getting all flock pellets from the feed store. Should the temperature affect her bathing? Is it to cold? It usually doesn't go below 50° because I live in Texas but I don't know how cold is to cold. Especially in Lucky's condition.. She has been kinda dragging one foot behind her the past day or two....Its her left foot, The one that has the sore on it does bumble foot do that? No other spots still...just that one sore on the hock area...

 

[SolarDuck]

Thank you! I understand. I am just trying to help Lucky have the highest quality life possible! I am getting wood chips for the pen. Is that ok?

Some woodchips are okay but some will be too harsh for the ducks feet it would be safer to just use pine bedding and or straw, straw if you live somewhere cold.

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you! I understand. I am just trying to help Lucky have the highest quality life possible! I am getting wood chips for the pen. Is that ok? Also, She has been getting in the bath daily and i have been misting her feathers when she isn't in the bath. Is there any medicine that might help her improve? I am getting all flock pellets from the feed store. Should the temperature affect her bathing? Is it to cold? It usually doesn't go below 50° because I live in Texas but I don't know how cold is to cold. Especially in Lucky's condition.. She has been kinda dragging one foot behind her the past day or two....Its her left foot, The one that has the sore on it does bumble foot do that? No other spots still...just that one sore on the hock area...

For open areas where there is rain, I use wood chips. The best wood chips to get is one that is soft, un-dyed, and fine, in most cases, shredded hardwood bark mulch will work great. For the coop where rain isn't reaching inside, I use straw, and wood shavings. The reason I don't use straw in the run is due to the fact that it tends to get very stinky when wet in contrast to wood chips.

If it's only getting down to 50F, that shouldn't pose much of a problem. The sore may definitely be contributing to her dragging the foot.

 

[Pekin duck mom]

@Isaac 0
Thank you!! Is there anything that I can do for her to make her stop dragging her foot? Also, what's the difference between wood shavings and wood chips?

 

[SolarDuck]

@Isaac 0
Thank you!! Is there anything that I can do for her to make her stop dragging her foot? Also, what's the difference between wood shavings and wood chips?

Wood shavings are soft bedding like pine shavings, wood chips are what you would picture when you say woodchips, like the kind of woodchips you would see as the bedding of a playground.

 

[Isaac 0]

@Isaac 0
Thank you!! Is there anything that I can do for her to make her stop dragging her foot? Also, what's the difference between wood shavings and wood chips?

Lamentably, the foot drag is likely correlated with her foot angulation problem, and there might not be much that can be done to totally correct it.

 

[Pekin duck mom]

Wood shavings are soft bedding like pine shavings, wood chips are what you would picture when you say woodchips, like the kind of woodchips you would see as the bedding of a playground.

Ok, yeah....I use wood shavings then. I didn't know the difference. I just always called them wood chips, thank you!

 

[Pekin duck mom]

Lamentably, the foot drag is likely correlated with her foot angulation problem, and there might not be much that can be done to totally correct it.

Ok. I understand. But do you know of anything that can help correct it even just a little? Its not painful, do you think...is it??? Is that why she drags it???

 

[Isaac 0]

Ok. I understand. But do you know of anything that can help correct it even just a little? Its not painful, do you think...is it??? Is that why she drags it???

I believe doing all the things mentioned previously in this thread would help; I'm unaware of anything to specifically help with the foot drag.

 

[Pekin duck mom]

I believe doing all the things mentioned previously in this thread would help; I'm unaware of anything to specifically help with the foot drag.

Ok. Thanks so much for your help! God bless you!!