New Ducklings Sitting a lot

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello Friends!
We got our 4 Runner ducklings on Wednesday and I've just been noticing that they run around or get up to eat/drink and then sit or lay down often. Is that common with ducklings or specifically runners? I think they are only a few days old. I have nutritional yeast in their flock raiser feed. I've put electrolytes and probiotics in their water. They have the mama heating pad/cave for warmth. I just want to make sure they are okay. I've looked it up and I didn't see too much info about it. They might just be lazy (eating or drinking while laying down) or maybe just tired from growing. I don't know. I've included a video of them in action. The two larger blue ones are the ones I see laying down the most. Thanks for any tips or reassurance.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Most baby animals have two speeds: high and off. They run around, wear themselves out, and pass out for a nap. Perfectly normal!

 

[Quatie]

Thanks. I think they are okay. They seem to be healthy and happy. I just noticed that they are quick to sit or lay down more often than the first 2 days we had them. They didn't used to lay down to eat or drink, but now they do that often.

Totally normal. When I raised Pekins, those lazy bums lounged around most of the time. All of them lounge around, some more than others. As they get a bit older, they will have more energy. Right now they are using lots of energy to grow incrediblely fast.

Unless they stop eating or drinking, or start acting unusually uncoordinated for a duckling, they are completely fine.

They are adorable ducklings!

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Thank you for your responses. I am just a paranoid new duck mama. They just take a few steps and lie down. Head over to the food and lie down. I notice it more at the end of the day so I think they are just more tired then or lazier after a long day. I'll keep an eye on it. They are eating and drinking well. Thanks again for your help.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Hello everyone!
Just wanted to post an update on our ducklings. They are growing up so quickly! They have been doing really well with the Now brand nutritional yeast flakes on their food and the Hi Level Vitamin B Complex from TSC in their water. 3 out of the 4 ducklings seem to be very active and hustle and bustle about most of the time. They do seem to have times of great energy and then get tuckered out. The one duckling who was sitting or laying the most still does sit and lay more than the others. I think she is just a lazy duck. Nothing seems to be wrong. I've checked her out and see no signs of injury. She is eating and drinking well. I think she just prefers to lay down. She'll go over to the food and eat some standing up and then after a bit, she plops down to eat. She does the same with the water. I've heard people mention that some ducks are just lazier? Is that a common thing? I'll see if I can post some new video to show how they are all doing.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

Most baby animals have two speeds: high and off. They run around, wear themselves out, and pass out for a nap. Perfectly normal!

Thanks. I think they are okay. They seem to be healthy and happy. I just noticed that they are quick to sit or lay down more often than the first 2 days we had them. They didn't used to lay down to eat or drink, but now they do that often.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

All of our ducklings are doing great. Thanks for asking. The particular duckling that was the biggest one and grew the most and the quickest is doing just fine. She often had shaky legs and laid down a lot. After stressing for weeks about her condition, she ended up just growing out of all that. I had done the hi level b vitamin complex, the nutritional yeast, niacin tablets, etc. We did it all to help her and she was still showing signs of leg weakness but I think she just had to strengthen her legs. We did have her swim every other day and also spend some time outdoors, but I think she just needed time. She no longer shows any signs of worrisome behaviors. I hope that is encouraging for some of you on here. For me, when I was looking up all the things I was worried about, it was helpful to hear success stories and know that everything might work out.

On another note, if you have ducklings and concerns about angel wing, I ended up using pantyhose as a wrap for the duckling. I cut a portion of the widest part of the thigh area and it was like a tube which fit perfectly on our duckling. She could still move around, breathe easily, and it didn't slide off until the end of the day. I had her wear this for 3-4 days and after that, no more evidence of angel wing! I think we caught it early and the pantyhose tube worked. I just wanted to share in case others might find it helpful.

 

[LT71689]

seconding the recommendation for a different niacin supplement. If you can get actual duckling starter that would be ideal (you can always hold onto the regular food for when they're bigger) but if not I'd go for the liquid. Isaac's stickied thread on yeast at the top of the duck forum is a good read on how unfortunately inefficient they can be.

The running around and then sitting is normal though. Ducks double in size in their first week, and again in their second. They're expending ENORMOUS amounts of energy JUST growing, let alone getting up and moving about.

 

[DuckDuckSook]

You can try nutritional yeast, too. It has a higher amount of niacin. I've been using it with my 4 week old ducklings, and I haven't noticed any issues.

And, yes, 2 speeds. Totally agree.

I am using the Now brand nutritional yeast https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07D4PYWLR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Quatie]

Now is one of the most recommended brands on this site. A lot of people use it. Before trying to change what you are doing, let's see what the naicin content is in your feed. I always hear check the naicin content on chicken feed and such. Every feed I have investigated so far has the minimum amount. I always add brewers yeast just in case, but I really don't need to. Now if I was raising Pekin again, I would have to supplement their feed, because they require higher amounts of naicin. They are fast growing heavy breed, so they need more. You have runners, so this is not the case. Let us know what feed you have, we might be able to help you with the naicin content.

Here is a great article on naicin and what to use https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nutritional-yeast-vs-brewers-yeast.1393856/

And honestly them sitting and resting is completely normal at this age. I would look for other signs than just that. If they are really weak, they won't have the energy to move away from you and will be uncoordinated.

If you want to learn more about naicin deficiency, here is a good article.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/post-22517848