Please with urgency obtain durvet high level Vit B compound from your feedstore or Amazon. Dose 1ml orally daily but as your duck is struggling maybe give twice a day for a few days to ensure the full dose is ingested. You might soak 1ml into a few mealworms but it's difficult to ensure the duck gets the full dose. I just had two pekin ducklings that developed acute severe niacin deficiency with a growth spurt and at 5 weeks age I was able to add Durvet to their water. I made up half a gallon and added 8mls durvet. That way each cupful contained 1 ml. I used a 1 pint/2 cup Tupperware tub with 2 rounded off square holes in the top large enough for a duck bill. I stood the tub into a slightly larger heavy earthenware bowl (dog bowl) and gave my 2 the 2 cupsful of medicated water first thing in the morning when they were thirsty after not having access to water at night. I also gave them their duck pellets with 1 tablespoon of nutritional yeast flakes per cup of pellets sprinkled on top. They took their medicated water within 30 minutes each morning. In the afternoon when I was topping up their pellets and nutritional yeast, I gave them another 1 pint tubful of medicated water. Most of that was drunk before bedtime. At 5-6 weeks old, ducklings don't need food and water over night.
Thank you so so much for your insight! I'll get on that right away, I did order some food specifically for water fowl and I consulted with a vet who suggested alot of what you did. I appreciate your long and detailed answer, this is my first time owning ducks, I've only ever had chickens so this is all new to me.
Its my first time having pekin ducklings since my son's 3, four years ago. I mainly rescue and rehab muscovy ducklings that get left behind by their mama or older pekin drakes that have been dumped. It was my first personal experience of acute niacin deficiency. We always advise soaking 1ml durvet into a treat (a few mealworms) but my new personal experience is that it doesn't all soak in!! I did use that method when my ducklings were little and then drained what had not soaked in onto of their crumbles. I felt uncertain they had had their dose and so gave a second dose late afternoon. I was glad when they grew bigger as I found it much easier to get a cup of water into each of my ducks when they were drinking more, and also less messy with their water. That is why I went into detail, it was personal experience not the regular wisdom offered in BYC
Your duckling may have had a congenital abnormality for example a heart problem. But the only way to know what caused your duckling to die would be an autopsy
