Pekin Duckling Laying down MOST of the time and army crawls... Normal or Not??

[MamaBearsFlock]

Picture of the new duckling, but when I just went out to take it... I found Bernese on her back unable to flip over on her own... So I flipped her over and she ran (very bowleggedly) to where she is in the picture. What does THAT mean?

 

[Amiga]

It means she seriously needs niacin as soon as possible! It affects their nervous system - she can develop seizures. It is fairly easy to deal with, but it can be fatal.

 

[Amiga]

Do you have any sardines in water, no salt?

 

[MamaBearsFlock]

No I don't, and I looked for b3 and don't have any of that either, and nothing is open I've only had her for 3 days... I'll go early in the morning and get what she needs. I feel terrible!

 

[Amykins]

This is why it's sooooo important to do your homework before getting any kind of animal! You said that you asked a bunch of people and they all told you that 1) ducks and chickens eat the same thing, and 2) they can be kept together without any problems at all. I don't know the types of people you hang around with, but they don't know their bum from their elbow when it comes to raising ducks!

Ducks and chickens can get along, but they need to be kept in different pens, unless you want to make your chicken coop as filthy as possible and risk your chickens getting foot rot from constantly walking on wet, feces-laden ground. Also, chickens have a pecking order, and so many ducks get injured by being constantly pecked by their sharp little beaks, and when they're all locked in the same pen they have nowhere to go in order to escape!

I'm surprised there are no 24 hour drugstores where you live, most of those carry all kinds of vitamins and you'd be able to find niacin or B-complex pills easy peasy. Please go get it FIRST THING in the morning, your little ducky baby needs you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Picture of the new duckling, but when I just went out to take it... I found Bernese on her back unable to flip over on her own... So I flipped her over and she ran (very bowleggedly) to where she is in the picture. What does THAT mean?

You can tell in the pic Bernese is having problems but like Amiga said is easily fixed once you start them on the B3 it usually only takes a 2-4 days to see the improvement. Not your fault at all.

since she's flipping now I'd do the B complex that way she's getting all the B's.

 

[Orca5094]

Glad the chick/duckling shuffle worked! We used to do that back at my zoo when we needed to add new ducklings to a group. Works like a charm. Even got momma ducks to accept new ducklings of different colors/species than her own this way.

So sorry Bernese is having these problems. Her leg issues are making it tough for her to right herself if she flips, so just try to check on her often and keep an eye on that. Keep us updated! Those vitamins should help. I use B-complex vitamins dissolved in water for my ducklings as well since I'm not able to get brewer's yeast or plain niacin over here.

 

[Miss Lydia]

You can also make her a donut out of a towel and put her inside of it head up of course this will keep her upright when you can't watch her. Just till the vitamins start kicking in.

 

[MamaBearsFlock]

Okay, I found this at Walmart in the next town over.

It is 400mg Niacin, so quarter capsule per gallon?

 

[MamaBearsFlock]

Or should I just do the entire capsule so she gets enough.