Niacin Deficiency in Waterfowl

[World Down Side Up]

It would be great if you could post a photo or video to show her leg. Are you adding the liquid vitamin B complex? That is the rescue med to give if they aren't doing well. Pekins are prone to deficiency and often the brewer's yeast is not enough. If the problem just started you should be able to correct it with the proper res

I'll try to get better photos tomorrow. My wife fell asleep and hard to hold her and take the photos at the same time.

 

[CoriM]

Do you feel it's more splay leg, where it's hard for her to stand up and the legs go out to the side, or is the leg twisted, or pigeon-toed? I would 100% get the liquid vitamin B complex going and know that it's not bad for all the ducklings to get it, so you are probably fine to leave them all together as long as she's not being trampled. I had a pekin with splay leg that developed about 3 weeks old and I just treated her while keeping her in the brooder with the other girls. In her case I used vet wrap to pull her legs into proper position, and dosed her with liquid vitamin B complex for many weeks, let her swim for ten minutes or so a day to stay strong, and she eventually regained her leg strength. I'll post a video here so you can see what her hobbles looked like after she got stronger and was walking with them:

 

[World Down Side Up]

Thank you so much for that information. I'm definitely going to continue the treatment. How did you wrap her leg?

Do you feel it's more splay leg, where it's hard for her to stand up and the legs go out to the side, or is the leg twisted, or pigeon-toed? I would 100% get the liquid vitamin B complex going and know that it's not bad for all the ducklings to get it, so you are probably fine to leave them all together as long as she's not being trampled. I had a pekin with splay leg that developed about 3 weeks old and I just treated her while keeping her in the brooder with the other girls. In her case I used vet wrap to pull her legs into proper position, and dosed her with liquid vitamin B complex for many weeks, let her swim for ten minutes or so a day to stay strong, and she eventually regained her leg strength. I'll post a video here so you can see what her hobbles looked like after she got stronger and was walking with them:

 

[CoriM]

I used vet wrap (or first aid tape) which is just a stretch fabric tape that sticks to itself. I put one loop around each leg, than used a larger loop to pull the legs into proper position - that larger loop stuck to the legs and itself.

 

[World Down Side Up]

Sounds like pekins are prone to disorders. Poor things. I've heards some horror stories about what they and their owners have gone through.

 

[CoriM]

It's sad for those who want to keep them as pets. They're bred to be harvested at 8 weeks old for meat, so they grow super fast and their legs don't always keep up. Some ducks have no problems at all, but I've two pekins now who didn't last beyond 4 years and their legs just got weak at the end. I still have one going though . They are very sweet birds!

 

[WVcountrygirl84]

Can you still give your duck Niacin even if your ducks don’t show any symptoms?

 

[CoriM]

Yes, I sprinkle nutritional yeast over my ducklings food, even though the food has niacin, just to make sure they're getting ample amount. The liquid vitamin B complex will just flush through their bodies if they don't need it.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Well done!! Extremely helpful!! Thanks

 

[ruthhope]

I have a flock of rescued drakes -- three in their third year and one in his second. Once rehabbed, my boys are fed Purina duck pellets with mealworm treats every day, and peas or kale several times a week. They are out foraging in my backyard every day.

Then last weekend my pekin drake started limping. I noted it as I put them to bed and determined to check it out and soak it in the morning. One of his pads had a very small superficial abrasion that was well healed after I had soaked and scraped off the surface black deposit. The feet and leg joints were not swollen or hot, and not tender. I was surprised. By the next day, my pekin was not walking and two of the muscovy were limping and lying around for most of the day. Their feet were perfect. The Pekin used his wings when he tried to walk.

I realised the ducks had niacin deficiency -- with the pekin having acute, severe niacin deficiency. I had started a new sack of purina duck pellets on the Wednesday before the weekend when the first symptoms arose. It's my opinion that the sack of Purina duck pellets is deficient in niacin. I have never had niacin deficiency in my flock nor in my son's laying flock of pekins. [The layers get brewer's yeast on their pellets every day].

Has anyone else had niacin deficiency develop in their adult ducks after starting a new supply of purina duck pellets? I bought my sack at Waldorf Maryland Tractor Supply last Tuesday.

The muscovy recovered after two days of Vit B Complex. The pekin has taken longer but today, 6 days after first limping, he is definitely ont he mend. He can walk, but prefers to still sit around, and needs to catch his ballance but not take his weight on his wings. He is only daily Durvet which I give with a plastic pipette down the right side of his tongue. Today he was fighting me back and we both got it over us!!!