My Duck is too fat to walk

[fluffyduckies]

Hi everybody,

I have three Peking ducks. One of the ducks however has become too fat to walk. This year we had a very brutal winter, and the ducks were not getting as much excersize as they usually do. We had the run door opened, but they chose to not leave. So for a good few months they were fairly immobile. However, now its spring, the other two ducks seem in fine shape and average sized and to be moving around well, but one of the ducks seems much fatter than the others. She continues to constantly sit all day, she barely walks and when she does its pathetic to watch. She has to use her wings to balance and she moves very slowly.

She won't get more excersize, and we've tried cutting down how much food we feed her. Please help! We really don't know what to do, and shes not getting better!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Any chance you can post a video? you have to go to Viemo or you tube etc then copy paste here or even a pic but video would be better. And what do you feed and is she laying? How old are your ducks?

 

[thumper650]

Swim time might help her get some excercise without stressing her legs.

 

[Lil Drake40]

Just be sure if you put her in water she can get out or get help to get out.

 

[thumper650]

Just be sure if you put her in water she can get out or get help to get out.

Great point, mine can stand in my kiddie pool so I didn't think of that!

 

[CayugaJana]

I’ve had my Pekins do this when a leg is injured or they were needing more niacin in their diet. Do you see any swelling in her legs or hips? Or bottom of her feet have black scabs? I would check those out and if there are no obvious signs of trauma, I would put her on 100 mgs of liquid niacin a day. Make sure it is NOT flush free. The flush free won’t work. I have got the liquid in the vitamin section at Walmart and the cattle vitamin section of tractor supply. Niacin is crucial to Pekins especially because of their heavy weight (they were bred to be meat birds) and their rapid growth. You may see her start walking better in about a week if she is niacin deficient. And having only one out of the flock that is niacin deficient is common.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry

 

[Jpat]

I definitly need to see a picture or video of her

 

[casportpony]

Hi everybody,

I have three Peking ducks. One of the ducks however has become too fat to walk. This year we had a very brutal winter, and the ducks were not getting as much excersize as they usually do. We had the run door opened, but they chose to not leave. So for a good few months they were fairly immobile. However, now its spring, the other two ducks seem in fine shape and average sized and to be moving around well, but one of the ducks seems much fatter than the others. She continues to constantly sit all day, she barely walks and when she does its pathetic to watch. She has to use her wings to balance and she moves very slowly.

She won't get more excersize, and we've tried cutting down how much food we feed her. Please help! We really don't know what to do, and shes not getting better!

Welcome to BYC! Pictures and a video would be helpful.

 

[onaharley]

I’ve had my Pekins do this when a leg is injured or they were needing more niacin in their diet. Do you see any swelling in her legs or hips? Or bottom of her feet have black scabs? I would check those out and if there are no obvious signs of trauma, I would put her on 100 mgs of liquid niacin a day. Make sure it is NOT flush free. The flush free won’t work. I have got the liquid in the vitamin section at Walmart and the cattle vitamin section of tractor supply. Niacin is crucial to Pekins especially because of their heavy weight (they were bred to be meat birds) and their rapid growth. You may see her start walking better in about a week if she is niacin deficient. And having only one out of the flock that is niacin deficient is common.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I’ve had my Pekins do this when a leg is injured or they were needing more niacin in their diet. Do you see any swelling in her legs or hips? Or bottom of her feet have black scabs? I would check those out and if there are no obvious signs of trauma, I would put her on 100 mgs of liquid niacin a day. Make sure it is NOT flush free. The flush free won’t work. I have got the liquid in the vitamin section at Walmart and the cattle vitamin section of tractor supply. Niacin is crucial to Pekins especially because of their heavy weight (they were bred to be meat birds) and their rapid growth. You may see her start walking better in about a week if she is niacin deficient. And having only one out of the flock that is niacin deficient is common.

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poul...ement-poultry/vitamin-deficiencies-in-poultry

Awesome link! Bookmarked

And I hope your bird gets better fluffy duckies