Niacin Deficiency or Injury

[World Down Side Up]

Hello.
We have 4 ducklings that are in their 3rd week. 2 are magpies and 2 are pekins. They were all fine about 4-days ago. Overnight one of my pekins lost the ability to walk. From everything we read, we thought it was a niacin deficiency. We've been treating with nutritional yeast in the food and niacin in the water but haven't seen any change. Reading the Niacin deficiency forum, the onset should have been more gradual. Could it be an injury to its leg? It looks like the right leg may be slightly outwards.
I've been separating it for feeding. Giving it own bowls of duck starter feed, water, and grit. Adding some peas and kale to the water along with the treatment. It eats really good and doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain.
The other 3 ducklings are just fine.
If its an injury, what can I do?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Continue the Niacin, can't hurt.

Ducks slip tendons pretty easily, particularly when growing - make sure there's same texture on the floor of the brooder. I use towels (CHEAP towels!), but thick wood shavings and similar work just fine too - smooth plastic or galzanized metal not so much.

Beyond that? What I don't know about poultry injury and illness would fill books - and does!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Adding niacin to the water dilutes it a lot. A lot of folks here swear by Durvet full-complex B vitamin (niacin is a B vitamin) and it's given directly to the duckling over a treat. It's not available where I live, but when I go to the States, I'm definitely grabbing some.

 

[World Down Side Up]

Continue the Niacin, can't hurt.

Ducks slip tendons pretty easily, particularly when growing - make sure there's same texture on the floor of the brooder. I use towels (CHEAP towels!), but thick wood shavings and similar work just fine too - smooth plastic or galzanized metal not so much.

Beyond that? What I don't know about poultry injury and illness would fill books - and does!

I'm using pine shavings in their brooder and change them out daily with the water mess that they make.

Chicks are so much easier! Although, last year one of my rues came down with Rye Neck as a young chick. Had to had feed him for weeks with the vitamins mixed in his food. Within a week of him going outside to the coop, it cleared completely up. He would try to twist his head and I wouldn't let him. I would gently make him hold it up straight. Literally in a week of that while also being outside it was gone. Now he's my dominant male and my friendliest bird.

I free range now that they are older and every time I go outside, all I have to do is call for him and he'll sound off to let me know where they are, then always comes to greet me as I'm walking up. Never knew I would like my chickens so much.

Scared that there might not be any saving this little duckling even though he isn't lethargic. Eats and drinks greats. Poor little thing just can't walk.

 

[World Down Side Up]

Adding niacin to the water dilutes it a lot. A lot of folks here swear by Durvet full-complex B vitamin (niacin is a B vitamin) and it's given directly to the duckling over a treat. It's not available where I live, but when I go to the States, I'm definitely grabbing some.

We are. We add the niacin to his feed as well.
Baffles me how the other 3 don't have any problems and they all had the same diet. This literally set in overnight. I'm afraid one of the other may have stepped on him or something.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

We are. We add the niacin to his feed as well.
Baffles me how the other 3 don't have any problems and they all had the same diet. This literally set in overnight. I'm afraid one of the other may have stepped on him or something.

that's why I'm thinking its more likely an injury than a vitamin deficiency. Maybe it heals, maybe it doesn't. You have to judge if the quality of life is worth it.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Hello.
We have 4 ducklings that are in their 3rd week. 2 are magpies and 2 are pekins. They were all fine about 4-days ago. Overnight one of my pekins lost the ability to walk. From everything we read, we thought it was a niacin deficiency. We've been treating with nutritional yeast in the food and niacin in the water but haven't seen any change. Reading the Niacin deficiency forum, the onset should have been more gradual. Could it be an injury to its leg? It looks like the right leg may be slightly outwards.
I've been separating it for feeding. Giving it own bowls of duck starter feed, water, and grit. Adding some peas and kale to the water along with the treatment. It eats really good and doesn't seem to be in a lot of pain.
The other 3 ducklings are just fine.
If its an injury, what can I do?

What form of niacin are you adding to water and what dosage?

 

[World Down Side Up]

we mixed one full 500mg capsule to a gallon of water, then fill their water up with 1/3 of the niacin water and 2/3 regular water. We then sprinkle a little on her/his separate food. My ducks weren't sexed so we don't know if they are females. We were waiting until they got a little bigger before we tried the vent sexing method.

 

[BelovedBirds]

we mixed one full 500mg capsule to a gallon of water, then fill their water up with 1/3 of the niacin water and 2/3 regular water. We then sprinkle a little on her/his separate food. My ducks weren't sexed so we don't know if they are females. We were waiting until they got a little bigger before we tried the vent sexing method.

Do you know if these capsules are flush free, or flush?
Can you get some B complex from TSC? Most use the durvet brand. It's given to ducks orally, 1ml daily over a treat

 

[BelovedBirds]

We are. We add the niacin to his feed as well.
Baffles me how the other 3 don't have any problems and they all had the same diet. This literally set in overnight. I'm afraid one of the other may have stepped on him or something.

It could be an injury, but so you know, some ducklings do need more niacin than others. I had two ducklings, one developed a bad deficiency while her sister was fine. Even now, she needs extra compared to her sister.

The fact it happened overnight makes me think it could be an injury, but doing the niacin treatment is wise, either way. I'm wondering if it could be a slipped tendon