muscovy duckling with no coordination

[LaynaDon95]

I have a muscovy duckling who is about 8-10 weeks old. I posted before that she was not acting right. I separated her and gave her some niacin. She is eating and drinking fine, and walking around her cage fine. I took her out and put her in next to the pool. (It's next to a concrete slant so the ducklings can get into it easily) She walked right up the concrete and tried to bend over and drink from the pool. She slipped and fell inbetween the pool and the concrete and just sat there, not trying to get out. I picked her up and put her in the pool. She swam around and then hopped out of the pool, onto the ramp (not the concrete, a wooden ramp I made for them.) She tried to walked down the ramp, but slipped, turned end over end a couple times and landed at the end on her back. She just laid there, flapping her legs a little. I picked her up and put her back in her cage. What is wrong with her? She seems to have coordination sometimes, but not others? I don't know what to do for her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have a muscovy duckling who is about 8-10 weeks old. I posted before that she was not acting right. I separated her and gave her some niacin. She is eating and drinking fine, and walking around her cage fine. I took her out and put her in next to the pool. (It's next to a concrete slant so the ducklings can get into it easily) She walked right up the concrete and tried to bend over and drink from the pool. She slipped and fell inbetween the pool and the concrete and just sat there, not trying to get out. I picked her up and put her in the pool. She swam around and then hopped out of the pool, onto the ramp (not the concrete, a wooden ramp I made for them.) She tried to walked down the ramp, but slipped, turned end over end a couple times and landed at the end on her back. She just laid there, flapping her legs a little. I picked her up and put her back in her cage. What is wrong with her? She seems to have coordination sometimes, but not others? I don't know what to do for her.

Keep up the niacin for one thing, sometimes when we see improvement we stop giving the niacin/meds etc and we have to keep them up for full treatment. I'd say at least 2 more weeks on the niacin if she is 10 weeks old or 4 more weeks if 8. and if she is still having problems even longer. Are you giving her other vitamins also, if not i would start, you mentioned in your other post that she was most likely kept away from food and water so she has some catching up to do. Swimming is great to help build her legs up just maybe not so much climbing till she is a bit more balanced. This could be something more serious, your the only one that is there to watch and really see how she is acting and eating , but I'd give her more time to catch up. plenty of good food/ vitamins and swim time without others bulling her . TSC has Poultry Nutri Drench which is a very good source of vitamins and you add it to the water. Please keep us updated and hopefully you'll notice more improvement over the next few days.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Okay, thank you very much. For the poultry vitamins at TSC, are you talking about this? Should I still give her niacin while I give her this? I'll see if I can get to TSC soon and get this. How often should I have her swim and for how long?

 

[LaynaDon95]

Oh, my goodness! She just tried to eat and bent over a bit and fell forward! This is very bad. What is going on?? She's so sluggish and uncoordinated!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, thank you very much. For the poultry vitamins at TSC, are you talking about this? Should I still give her niacin while I give her this? I'll see if I can get to TSC soon and get this. How often should I have her swim and for how long?

yes thats the vitamins i am talking about, and for swimming you don't want to waer her out, watch how she is acting, maybe start out with 10mins and work up to 20-30. one thing you don't want is to leave her in the pool with out watching her to make sure she can get out by herself.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Oh, my goodness! She just tried to eat and bent over a bit and fell forward! This is very bad. What is going on?? She's so sluggish and uncoordinated!

Okay tell us more about her, did you hatch her in a bator? or was she bought? or did she hatch under a duck? did it take along time for her to hatch, did you assist? How long had she been in the pool she maybe exhausted from swimming.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Okay, I'll try to get her better. I'm kinda panicking. This is absolutely not normal. I have very little experience with duck illness. I primarily have chickens. Should I disinfect the pool/coop and everything? She can't stay on her feet.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Okay, I'll try to get her better. I'm kinda panicking. This is absolutely not normal. I have very little experience with duck illness. I primarily have chickens. Should I disinfect the pool/coop and everything? She can't stay on her feet.

Put her in a very quiet pen or crate with her food and water. out of the way of duck/chicken people foot traffic. and let her rest. in the mean time try to get those vitamins, but also this could be something serious and you may have to deal with death or putting her down. I sure hope not, but Ducks are very hardy and don't get sick like chickens can and do. So I am thinking this isn't something contagious but again i am here you are with her. If it makes you feel better do some disinfecting. I use Oxine ah to spray down my coops and duck/geese houses. what ever you use don't spray it around your flock unless it's says it's safe to do so. If you use bleach makes sure everything is completely dry before letting your flock on it.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I have her in a play pen. (Like an old baby play pen) with pine shaving covering the bottom. I have a small dog crate (plastic, not wire) which would be better? Also, I have no idea if this is relevant or not, but this duckling was the only one to turn out white, and she is teensy weensy compared to her (i'm assuming) brothers. They are easily 3 times bigger than she is and have been for weeks and weeks. She's only been acting like this for a few days.

 

[PAchickenlover]

I am going through something VERY similar! I too have a Muscovy that is not using his legs... I am getting very frustrated with it because I do not have the money right this minute to just go out and buy everything I would like to have for him. I am getting ready to go cook some eggs for him.