Niacin Deficiency Injection

[xlopezmatos]

Hello,
This is another niacin deficiency post. For some background, I have researched what to do (more details below), but I've hit a wall. I'm looking for advice on niacin deficiency in 2 (maybe 3) ducklings within my flock of 12. I purchased them together on May 1st as two day-old Swedish Blue ducklings. I immediately had them on non-medicated chick starter and added brewer's yeast to ensure they received the niacin they needed. Around 2 weeks I switched to Flock Raiser, but was still adding the Brewer's Yeast due to mixed reviews on whether it provided enough Niacin. Around week 3 I noticed 2 of the ducklings were showing a niacin deficiency. They were bowlegged and their legs never stood fully straight. I immediately separated them as well as 2 other duckings that I wasn't 100% sure were deficient or not. They stayed in my house for 1.5-2weeks and received additional niacin via the high B-complex liquid I purchased at Tractor Supply. This was given to them orally. They began to show signs of improvement so I brought them back to the main flock. The entire flock has been living outside and still receives the brewer's yeast as well as the b-complex liquid which I add to their water. I also give them mealworms (on occasion) and peas. They all look healthy except the two ducks who originally were showing issues are now showing issues again. I am not sure why. They are free ranging but still receive isolated feedings in their run 2x a day to ensure they get the food they need. We also throw food to them when they are outside of their run, but we feed them separately as well since we have chickens and want to make sure they are receiving the nutrition they need. I have tried giving these ducks the B-complex orally but it doesn't seem to be making a difference. Is it possible to inject them with it? Also, can this issue be reversed? They are currently walking, but are bowlegged and their legs are bent. The other ducks are healthy and look great and I never had any issues with them. I also always make sure that the food is spread out enough so all the ducks can get to it.

P.S. I have try bandaging their legs and that didn't work. I'm wondering if the injection will be more direct and reverse the issue.

I appreciate any help.

 

[Jenbirdee]

How many days in a row are you giving the bcomplex orally and how much are you giving each bird? …. Edit to add , are you giving it direct by mouth or just adding to their water?

 

[xlopezmatos]

Hello! Thanks for the quick reply. I gave 1ml once a day and this was in addition to what was added to their water.

 

[ruthhope]

I have just had three 2+ year old drakes show signs of niacin deficiency within 5 days of starting a new sack of duck feed. They have been on the same brand of "nutritionally complete" duck food for 2+ years. I think the batch that I just bought must be inadequate for whatever reason. I have contacted Land o Lakes, the manufacturer.

Two of my drakes -- both limping but without any problem with their feet and legs -- recovered with brewer's yeast added to their duck feed and Rooster Booster Poultry Cell in their water. The third most severely affected drake was the first to limp and within 2 days could not walk. He is having High Level Vit B Complex 1ml twice a day by pipette directly into the side of his mouth. After a week, he is full of himself--shouting loudly his orders to the other drakes--and can stand but doesn't want to walk. He was not eating much for 5 days but is doing a lot better for the last 2 days. So my experience, once a full sized duck gets symptoms of niacin deficiency, it takes time to get them back to normal. Your ducks have had symptoms for a long time while they were growing, and so there is the possibility that they have irreversible changes in their legs. However, I would not give up on treatment yet. I would not go down the road of injecting Vit B into your ducks -- way too traumatic and likely to run into problems. Instead, I would increase their dose orally to 1ml High level Vit B Complex twice a day and persist with this!

Good luck.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Sometimes visuals are good. I know they help me
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[ruthhope]

That's a great visual to understand the anatomy of where the dose has to go and where it hasn't (into the windpipe in the center of the throat.)

I would add to the advice in the link:

I find it easiest to wrap my duck in a towel. I wrap the towel round and under the duck so that if it poops, it poops in the towel and not on me. I continue wrapping the towel round to hold the wings and legs firmly immobile, and then round the neck so that only the head is out.

You won't see that view of the ducks throat if you are medicating the duck on your own, or if you are the person holding the duck against your body. For my pekin, it is easy to hold him and dose him myself. I put my left index finger into the bill to hold it open and use my right hand (I am right handed) to give the medicine. I take care that the pipette is right at the side of the ducks tongue pressing to the side of the mouth/ throat. I use a 1ml pipette not a syringe as I have a plastic pipette with soft tip. It's narrower than a 1ml syringe. If I didn't have the pipette, I would use a syringe.

I dont know that I could do this on my own with my muscovy drakes. They are bigger and stronger. I can catch and wrap them when I have needed to bathe their eyes and with slightly different wrapping, when I have needed to inspect their feet. But prizing a muscovy bill open with my index finger might be a recipe for losing my left index finger!

Ok: it's easier to give a duck a dose of Vit B than it is to take a selfie of the duck wrapped in a towel!

 

[xlopezmatos]

Thank you!