My 3 week old muscovy duck is shaking

[SparkleFlower]

My 3 week old Muscovy duck is shaking, breathing heavily, and panting. he/she weighs 9 oz. I have two other 3 week old muscovies and they weigh 14 oz and 11 oz , and they don't shake. is he/she too hot or cold, or sick?

 

[bemba]

Hmmm so hard to say without seeing the bird, is it constant? and how long has it been going on for? might be a vet job?

 

[SparkleFlower]

Hmmm so hard to say without seeing the bird, is it constant? and how long has it been going on for? might be a vet job?

It is constant, and it started yesterday. I will post a picture later today
thanks for replying

 

[Miss Lydia]

It is constant, and it started yesterday. I will post a picture later today
thanks for replying

Do you have them under heat lamp? what temps? also are they on niacin?

 

[SparkleFlower]

Do you have them under heat lamp? what temps? also are they on niacin?

we have a heat lamp but it is too hot when it's on. 75 F. to 78 F. I don't know what niacin is. I have not given them any medicine, I just mix diatomaceous earth in their chick\duck feed. Here is a picture. The dark brown one (it's name is Napoleon) is shaking.

 

[Miss Lydia]

we have a heat lamp but it is too hot when it's on. 75 F. to 78 F. I don't know what niacin is. I have not given them any medicine, I just mix diatomaceous earth in their chick\duck feed. Here is a picture. The dark brown one (it's name is Napoleon) is shaking.

Tell me why your mixing DE into their feed and how much? I use DE only to keep my 50lb bag of feed fresh 3cups to 50lbs was what I read. and Niacin is very important for ducklings, they can develop neurological and leg problems if they don't get enough from their feed and surroundings. If you aren't feeding a waterfowl feed then they aren't getting enough niacin, you can buy just about anywhere vitamins are sold you might have to ask for it at the pharmacy though for some reason they keep the plain niacin behind the counter. and be sure to get plain not time released or flush free for a 3 week old ducklings I'd go with 200-250 mgs per 1 gallon of water mixed real good. or Brewers yeast has niacin in it and can be sprinkled on top of their feed. !Tab to 1cup of feed. Not baking yeast. At 3 weeks they need a temp of 75* -72* if kept out of drafts. How is the ducklings appetite and have they been in water yet?

 

[SparkleFlower]

Tell me why your mixing DE into their feed and how much? I use DE only to keep my 50lb bag of feed fresh 3cups to 50lbs was what I read. and Niacin is very important for ducklings, they can develop neurological and leg problems if they don't get enough from their feed and surroundings. If you aren't feeding a waterfowl feed then they aren't getting enough niacin, you can buy just about anywhere vitamins are sold you might have to ask for it at the pharmacy though for some reason they keep the plain niacin behind the counter. and be sure to get plain not time released or flush free for a 3 week old ducklings I'd go with 200-250 mgs per 1 gallon of water mixed real good. or Brewers yeast has niacin in it and can be sprinkled on top of their feed. !Tab to 1cup of feed. Not baking yeast. At 3 weeks they need a temp of 75* -72* if kept out of drafts. How is the ducklings appetite and have they been in water yet?

I mix less than a teaspoon of DE in their feeder when it is full. photo of feeder. I will ask my parents to buy brewer's yeast or niacin. The food I give them says it's for waterfowl. the ducklings are eating constantly. I put them in a coop and they eat bugs, duck feed, minnows and grass (I catch the minnows from our pond, put them in a pan, and let them fish for them) . They swim in our bathtub filled with warm water. thanks for replying

 

[KYTinpusher]

I am looking at your picture and I see what looks like a waterer in the background. Is that just a standard chicken waterer? Do they have another waterer in the coop? Ducks need a water source deep enough to put their whole beak in shake it around to clean out their nares after they eat. This could account for it shaking its head. Also, I found that my ducklings still needed supplemental heat until they were well feathered in, even in the house. Try giving him/her a warm area to go to if he gets cold and see if the shaking stops.

 

[SparkleFlower]

I am looking at your picture and I see what looks like a waterer in the background. Is that just a standard chicken waterer? Do they have another waterer in the coop? Ducks need a water source deep enough to put their whole beak in shake it around to clean out their nares after they eat. This could account for it shaking its head. Also, I found that my ducklings still needed supplemental heat until they were well feathered in, even in the house. Try giving him/her a warm area to go to if he gets cold and see if the shaking stops.

the waterer is a one-quart screw on jar.they only have one waterer, but I think they can submerge their beaks/bills.

Thanks for everyone's help! the shaking stopped and he/she is more energetic!

I mixed 1 1/2 cups diatomaceous earth in their 20-25 pound bag of food. I read the ingredient list and it has niacin, do they still need it in a vitamin?

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

If your duckling still has the need for more Niacin, then yes, you'll need to supplement. I had one that needed a little extra, just for a week or so. If you are offering vitamin-enriched water, you should also be offering plain water too. I'd suggest that you start looking for pics of waterers. Some super creative folks have made them out of clean milk jugs, pop bottles, cool whip bowls, Tupperware, etc etc etc. Just type "waterers" into the search box. The water dish for ducklings really needs to be at least 1.5-2" deep IMO. About the heat lamp, I feel like its better to have it and not need it, but only in the case that the ducklings have the option and ability to move away from the heat source if it really is too warm. Does that make sense?