Niacin Deficiency

[DuneDucks]

I have 2 Khaki Campbells and 1 Cayuga. The one in question is one of the Khaki Campbells. It is larger and less active than the other. I have a round feeder with a bunch of access points for them. I am thinking of placing another in the brooder. We just upgraded the brooder to a larger one earlier this week.

KC's are a good, medium sized duck. Big fan! Fortunately, a niacin deficit should be easier to correct with one than a larger breed like Pekin. I think the set-up sounds fine. I have a couple of similar feeders that I've noticed a duckling or two struggle with. One of mine has a top you can pop off for better access, which I think they find preferable, even if there is a bit more spillage.

They are getting free access to chick grit for the last week (starting at 2 weeks old). We didn't start giving treats until they started the grit. But they get maybe 1/2 cup of chopped greens 2x a day (morning & night) and they get small bits of dried mealworms occasionally during the day (mostly as a training treat to ease them into being handled). I try to give more greens than those though as I don't want to overdo the protein.

A good rule of thumb for treats is not to exceed 10% of their daily diet. Possible the ducking is filling up on greens and eating less of it's food than she should.

If she is a girl (like ordered) than maybe she is getting pushed out by the other 2. Since they are almost 4 weeks i'm not sure vent checking will be easy (especially as this one doesn't like being handled).

Honestly, I wouldn't worry about that. Vent sexing can be dangerous if done incorrectly. I wouldn't attempt it unless someone with experience was present tbh. Just trust the professionals at the hatchery did it correctly, and if not, you can just contact them and I'm sure they'll remedy the situation in some way.

 

[Ronnie_]

This can happen that only one shows signs
Do 1tbs nutritional yeast to 1cup feed for 12 weeks
After that I stop measuring but sprinkle it in the feed a few times a week
In winter I gave it daily and my birds are 10 months to 2 years
These are only preventing but once there is signs you need to do more
Getting durvet vitamin B complex
1ml over a small treat or directly through syringe ( don’t add to the water as they won’t get the full stronger dose ) every day
Do this for 2-4 weeks
Once you see duck is back to normal continue for one more week
It says injectable for cattle but in birds it’s oral
Can be bought at TS or online
I also switch my birds at 2 weeks from starter to grower feed
Takes just over a week for the switch
Every 3 days
3/4-1/4 ..1/2-1/2…1/4-3/4 then full

Do you recommend a rec on grower feed. I'm having a issue finding a feed between starter & layer Right now I am using Dumor ('all life stages') duck crumbles. But I did purchase/get a bag of Kalmbach Duck and Goose Feed Pellets that 18% protein and 45mg/lb of Niacin. Should I begin switching them over to this pellet feed?

 

[Ronnie_]

Thank you all for so much for all the advice so far! I will be adding another feeder dish when I get home, and remove the lid from our current one. I also ordered the Bcomplex just in case I need to administer it. Figured I’d drop a pic of my setup and my girls as well.
(From Toast, Tina, and Louise)

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Do you recommend a rec on grower feed. I'm having a issue finding a feed between starter & layer Right now I am using Dumor ('all life stages') duck crumbles. But I did purchase/get a bag of Kalmbach Duck and Goose Feed Pellets that 18% protein and 45mg/lb of Niacin. Should I begin switching them over to this pellet feed?

I myself can’t get duck feed so I’m not familiar with it
But if it’s all stages I would think it would be okay
Sometimes to many treats can take away from the amount of vitamins and protein they need
So maybe giving less would be better
My ducks are older so they don’t get feed 24/7 anymore
In the morning when they get out they eat then I give treats in the day and at night they eat again but I like ti wait till they get the morning feed. In
With yours they still need feed 24/7
She maybe eating more treats then feed as @DuneDucks said and this could be lowering the intake she needs
I would still do the vitamin B complex treatment
If dealt with proper it’s a real easy fix but takes a little bit to notice changes
If left and not given the extra then it can result in duck loosing full
mobility and death
Any niacin the body doesn’t need it releases so you won’t hurt her by giving it

 

[DuneDucks]

Do you recommend a rec on grower feed. I'm having a issue finding a feed between starter & layer Right now I am using Dumor ('all life stages') duck crumbles. But I did purchase/get a bag of Kalmbach Duck and Goose Feed Pellets that 18% protein and 45mg/lb of Niacin. Should I begin switching them over to this pellet feed?

I went through the process of trying to find the perfect feed for my ducklings last year, and unfortunately just wound up frustrated with a lack of options and affordable pricing. After ordering two batches of expensive grower that arrived spoiled, I finally just settled on raising them on Purina Duck pellets. Protein is 19% but I haven't noticed any adverse effects due to that. And I do have a couple Pekin who periodically need extra niacin supplemented, but I blame that on the breed more so than the feed. My ducks have grown up happy and healthy over the last year, so I've been using said feed exclusively on this year's ducklings too. I wet it down a bit to start, but mine are 1-month old and they handle hard pellets fine at this point. It's a reliable, all-stage feed if you can find it locally.

 

[Ronnie_]

It takes a couple months for drakes to get their curl feather, but if your duckling is honking then it's a girl.

What breed are your ducklings? Certain breeds, and even individual ducklings within said breed, sometimes require extra niacin. Your feeding regimen sounds pretty good overall though. How often do you feed them treats? And do you leave grit out for them?

I don't think it'd be too uncommon for the larger duckling to be a little more inactive as they grow, but you should be seeing them eat just as often as the others though. Is there space on your feeder for all 3 to eat comfortably at the same time? It probably wouldn't be my first guess but it's possible she's getting pushed out like you suggested.

If it's something that continues I would look into getting some Vitamin B complex. If you're in the US and have a Tractor supply or other farm/ranch store nearby you might be able to find some locally. Durvet (pictured below) is the brand a lot of us use on here. The bottle says injectable, but you can just put 1 mL over their favorite treat and feed it to them orally. You'll want to do that on a daily basis for a bit until you start seeing improvement.

View attachment 3458520

I think I would prefer to administer 1 mL of this orally to ensure she gets a full dose. Do you know if ducks like the taste of this? (I am guessing maybe not if it's formulated to be injected). I was just wondering the best approach to giving it to them via oral syringe since she is already more nervous than the other two.

 

[DuneDucks]

I think I would prefer to administer 1 mL of this orally to ensure she gets a full dose. Do you know if ducks like the taste of this? (I am guessing maybe not if it's formulated to be injected).

Yeah, the liquid does have a bitter smell/taste, so ducks can be reluctant to eat it even when spread on a tasty dish like mealworms. Still, I've had the best luck putting the solution on some crushed mealworms and giving it to them in the morning before breakfast (after a night of no feed).

I was just wondering the best approach to giving it to them via oral syringe since she is already more nervous than the other two.

I'll say right away I've never given medicine to my ducks via oral syringe. The process can be incredibly dangerous with an unsteady hand/duck. Tbh I think a lot of people would even recommend against doing so with a duckling. I have read about oral administration done very carefully by going drip by drip at the tip of a duckling's bill, but I don't know how well that's going to work with how bitter the solution is, and it's often as more of a last resort for particularly sick ducklings. Seems more likely yours will just shake her head and get it everywhere.

You'll want to read and watch everything on https://www.tyrantfarms.com/how-to-medicate-ducks-pill-syringe-instructional-video/ before you decide to go that route. No matter what you decide, it's good knowledge to have. Read the article, but I'll also put up a couple important pictures for quick reference, and keep in mind these are pictures of a full-grown duck. A duckling's mouth is obviously going to be much smaller.

Just to reiterate, it is VERY unsafe to put anything down their glottis. Unless the condition gets extreme, I really would recommend trying to give her some Complex B over treats first.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I think I would prefer to administer 1 mL of this orally to ensure she gets a full dose. Do you know if ducks like the taste of this? (I am guessing maybe not if it's formulated to be injected). I was just wondering the best approach to giving it to them via oral syringe since she is already more nervous than the other two.

Mine take it now problem
I give a little then stop then go again

 

[Ronnie_]

Yeah, the liquid does have a bitter smell/taste, so ducks can be reluctant to eat it even when spread on a tasty dish like mealworms. Still, I've had the best luck putting the solution on some crushed mealworms and giving it to them in the morning before breakfast (after a night of no feed).



I'll say right away I've never given medicine to my ducks via oral syringe. The process can be incredibly dangerous with an unsteady hand/duck. Tbh I think a lot of people would even recommend against doing so with a duckling. I have read about oral administration done very carefully by going drip by drip at the tip of a duckling's bill, but I don't know how well that's going to work with how bitter the solution is, and it's often as more of a last resort for particularly sick ducklings. Seems more likely yours will just shake her head and get it everywhere.

You'll want to read and watch everything on https://www.tyrantfarms.com/how-to-medicate-ducks-pill-syringe-instructional-video/ before you decide to go that route. No matter what you decide, it's good knowledge to have. Read the article, but I'll also put up a couple important pictures for quick reference, and keep in mind these are pictures of a full-grown duck. A duckling's mouth is obviously going to be much smaller.

View attachment 3458885
View attachment 3458886


Just to reiterate, it is VERY unsafe to put anything down their glottis. Unless the condition gets extreme, I really would recommend trying to give her some Complex B over treats first.

Thank you for so much information! I really appreciate it. She’s still drinking and eating (just not as voracious as the other 2) We tried to do 1 mL over a treat but I probably didn’t use enough mealworms as the solution pooled under them. She did get a little bit of covered mealworm in. But was not in the mood for my antics. She did lovely throw a bunch on me- so I do have a nice B complex yellow stain on my hand But probably not close to a 1mL dose. I will try again tomorrow morning. Using more crushed meal worms or puréed peas so we can mix the suspension in better.

 

[DuneDucks]

We tried to do 1 mL over a treat but I probably didn’t use enough mealworms as the solution pooled under them. I will try again tomorrow morning. Using more crushed meal worms or puréed peas so we can mix the suspension in better.

Mixing in a pinch of her own feed will help absorb the solution and hopefully encourage her to eat it all. Peas are also a pretty popular choice on here since they're a rich, natural source of niacin. If you need to do it more effectively via syringe just slowly do a little at a time like @New duck mommy 2021 said.

Good luck though! Sounds like you're well-researched and proactive, so I trust she'll rebound just fine under your care. You'll have to keep us updated!