Niacin question for Ducks.

[Dion Fiacre]

Background:
My ducks forage most of the day and they only eat their game bird layena when the weather is very cold or snow is covering most of the ground.

Occasionally, one will get a limp. My birds are all roughly one year old. A few have limped for a couple of days and then recovered. Each one hasn't limped more than once or twice in this year long period.

I have always been told that ...."land ducks" often strain their legs. I have Cayuga, Khaki Campbells, and Chinese White Geese. Recently, my gander got a sever limp and has finally recovered.

I have started reading that niacin deficiencies can cause leg weakness. I am worried that their choice to forage over eating their grain may be causing them to have deficiencies.


Question:
If my birds aren't eating their food...choosing to forage instead. How can I supplement niacin?
How do I know if I need to supplement niacin?

Thank you,

 

[FoodFreedomNow]

Background:
My ducks forage most of the day and they only eat their game bird layena when the weather is very cold or snow is covering most of the ground.

Occasionally, one will get a limp. My birds are all roughly one year old. A few have limped for a couple of days and then recovered. Each one hasn't limped more than once or twice in this year long period. 

I have always been told that ...."land ducks" often strain their legs. I have Cayuga, Khaki Campbells, and Chinese White Geese. Recently, my gander got a sever limp and has finally recovered.

I have started reading that niacin deficiencies can cause leg weakness. I am worried that their choice to forage over eating their grain may be causing them to have deficiencies.


Question:
If my birds aren't eating their food...choosing to forage instead. How can I supplement niacin? 
How do I know if I need to supplement niacin?

Thank you,

From your description, it sounds to me more likely that your birds may be suffering minor sprains/strains than suffering from niacin deficiency, particularly if they're getting greens on a regular basis and you've confirmed that it's not bumblefoot. That said, it's not a bad idea to err on the side of caution and supplement with niacin to see if you notice less limping. Here's a BYC thread on the topic: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...ies-in-goslings-ducklings-growth-leg-problems.

Metzer Farms also has an overview of niacin deficiency and treatment on their blog: http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html?m=1.

My drake who's just under 2 years old developed a limp when he was molting (no bumble) this fall and it took a few weeks to resolve. I figure he just sprained it somehow.

 

[Dion Fiacre]

Thank you for responding. My animals have never suffered from bumblefoot, yet. That is the first thing that I check. And, their legs do not look like the pictures in the information you linked (thank you so much!). So, it must be miscellaneous sprains that they are occasionally having. Thank you again for the links.