NEED HELP!

[etorres]

My duck can't stand or walk..what's the problem?? Need help asap.

 

[PP Calls]

I'm going to tractor supply in about 3 hours so what do I ask for ?

Here's my advice. You've been given a lot of conflicting information from a lot of people. However, here on BYC, people who have been proven to have given great advice and information, and have proven that they know what they are talking about, are awarded a special badge. It's under their username and it says "BYC Educator".

Two such people have posted in here. I would take their advice.

 

[Pyxis]

I'll go ahead and suggest some specific feeds. What I would suggest first and foremost is a feed made for ducklings. However, in the US not a lot of feed stores carry such a thing. Purina just started making one, and my Tractor Supply carries it, but it only comes in five pound bags right now, and that's not really sustainable when you need to drive four hours out to the feed store each time. So it sounds like that's out.

Next up I would suggest anything that's called an all flock or Flock Raiser. Purina makes a feed called Flock Raiser that comes in 50 pound bags and is formulated to work for ducklings. This is a good choice. Naturewise also makes a feed that works well for ducklings. They call it Meat Bird and it comes in a bright orange 40 pound bag. The protein is 22%, but this is what I feed to all my ducklings until they are adults and it doesn't cause any problems that I have noticed. It too has enough niacin for ducklings.

Now, if none of that is available, then go for any unmedicated chick starter. This will not have enough niacin, so you will also need to buy something to supplement the niacin with. I would recommend buying the Vitamin B Complex I previously mentioned for this purpose.

If you can't find unmedicated chick starter, then get medicated chick starter. It won't hurt them, they just don't really need the amprolium so there's no reason to buy medicated unless you can't get anything else. Again, you will need a niacin supplement.

And since he is already having issues, I would suggest getting the Vitamin B Complex no matter what feed you go with, and giving him 1 ml directly every day. If he gets more vitamins than he needs, he will just excrete them.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can speak from experience that Purina Flock raiser crumble is a really great feed for duckling and all poultry I have used it for mine from hatch on till end of life. Never had a problem with it. Please take the advise of the Educator that is why she is one here on BYC.

Sure hope you see improvements in your little duckling soon, once they get the B Complex into their systems they seem to bounce back pretty quick

 

[etorres]

I'll go ahead and suggest some specific feeds. What I would suggest first and foremost is a feed made for ducklings. However, in the US not a lot of feed stores carry such a thing. Purina just started making one, and my Tractor Supply carries it, but it only comes in five pound bags right now, and that's not really sustainable when you need to drive four hours out to the feed store each time. So it sounds like that's out.

Next up I would suggest anything that's called an all flock or Flock Raiser. Purina makes a feed called Flock Raiser that comes in 50 pound bags and is formulated to work for ducklings. This is a good choice. Naturewise also makes a feed that works well for ducklings. They call it Meat Bird and it comes in a bright orange 40 pound bag. The protein is 22%, but this is what I feed to all my ducklings until they are adults and it doesn't cause any problems that I have noticed. It too has enough niacin for ducklings.

Now, if none of that is available, then go for any unmedicated chick starter. This will not have enough niacin, so you will also need to buy something to supplement the niacin with. I would recommend buying the Vitamin B Complex I previously mentioned for this purpose.

If you can't find unmedicated chick starter, then get medicated chick starter. It won't hurt them, they just don't really need the amprolium so there's no reason to buy medicated unless you can't get anything else. Again, you will need a niacin supplement.

And since he is already having issues, I would suggest getting the Vitamin B Complex no matter what feed you go with, and giving him 1 ml directly every day. If he gets more vitamins than he needs, he will just excrete them.

THANK YOU!! now I have a valuable answer

 

[Pyxis]

What age is the duck? What have you been feeding it? Is it still eating and drinking okay? If it's an adult female, has it laid an egg recently? We'll need a lot more information to be able to help.

 

[casportpony]

That isn’t going to work. Your duck needs duck food or ****UNMEDICATED****chick starter. Give some nutritional yeast and grit too. Wild birdseed without grit is basically indigestible for any bird.

I agree that it needs new food, but it *can* have medicated chick starter if the medication is amprolium and/or bacitracin. Read all about that here:
Feeding Ducklings Medicated Feed - The Myths and the Truth

@etorres, can you buy some chick starter crumbles or duck starter crumbles where you live?

 

[casportpony]

Ok ok ok enough with this ...what's the BEST duck food I can have to get my duck feeling better if that's the case???

An all flock feed that is labeled for ducklings or a duckling starter would be best. If you can't get that, get the chick starter and vitamins. Don't worry about the protein being high, you'll be fine.

 

[casportpony]

The easy, right way to do this niacin supplement is with a packet of "SAVE A CHICK". You just mix it in there water and it contains electrolytes, niacin, and other vitamins. It's available at Tractor supply, its cheap about $ 1-2. It's a little packet you put in there water. If he'll drink water then you don't need to monkey with the syringe.

I don't think that this product has enough niacin to be helpful, and the bigger problem is that this is not something that should be given daily.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I can see the difference very happy and proud of you for going and getting what was needed for this one and your other ducks. To see improvement in just a few days is awesome. So keep up the good work and hopefully your little one will be doing really well very soon. It's amazing how much the B complex and good feed water time can do but it does. and TLC very important too!