pekin having a hard time walking..

[birdbrain5]

i have two pekin drakes (they do not fight) i believe they are jumbo pekins but im not sure, as i dont have anything but some runner x's to compare to. they are much bigger than them, and one is starting to have a hard time walking. he does ok most of the time but sometimes if he is startled or made to run following the other he trips and then just sits down putting his wings out. its like hes taking a break and then he will get up and go. we have a huge pond down back and they are so foolish they will not go down there. i feel like they would be better off not always walking the ground seeing as ducks are supposed to spend most of thier time in the water. i wonder if its contributing to his issue? i am going to try to herd them down there and see if they will realize its ok and go in the water. does anyone else have jumbo pekins? was this breed made for meat and are they on the same idea as a cornish rock that gets too heavy and not meant to live long?

 

[Amiga]

Have you looked closely at his feet and legs? Have you felt to see if it is very warm? How old is he? What's his environment like? Hard surfaces? Mulched surfaces? How's his appetite?

 

[birdbrain5]

hes only a year or so old, there are some hard surfaces like gravel they all walk on alot. i checked his feet and legs, not warm, and didnt seem bothered when i felt and squeezed them a little bit. hes eating just fine too hes a fatty. i dont feed them much at all i let them range around and feed themselves so i cant imagine hes over eating really. do you think its because hes not spending enough time off his feet and in the water?

 

[Amiga]

That is possible - it could just be a sprain. Is there a chance you could get him into a kiddie pool or tub for a long leisurely lukewarm float?

And there was no sign of a bumble, right? No swelling? Toes or other parts of the leg?

Just trying to think of what may be happening.

If it's a sprain or a pull (my runners get those sometimes - always scares me just a little), time, proper diet and rest will take care of it. Meanwhile, please keep us posted - someone else may be able to add some good ideas.

 

[birdbrain5]

thanks for the help, i totally didnt think of a bumble, probably because this is my first year and i have never seen one nor do i know exactly what they are. i will look closer tomorrow and maybe take some pics to post on here. i hope hes ok, i love those two boys! i wonder if i should seperate him from the others to rest. they sometimes will walk on him if they are in a scurry to get something and hes in thier path.

 

[Amiga]

Bumbles sometimes don't look like much, just a bump with a small darker center. But they can be quite painful. I check my ducks for them from time to time, because catching them early they are easy to fix (although it takes weeks for it to go away).

If it is a bumble, the way I treat them (so far, we have caught them early) is to clean the foot (sometimes just a swipe with hydrogen peroxide or even warm clean water) and wipe some triple antibiotic on the foot top and bottom. I do this initially three times a day, then after a week or so, just once or twice a day.

 

[FenDruadin]

Poor guy. Sadly, jumbo pekins are notorious for leg problems. They are simply too heavy, a breed developed for meat and therefore for harvesting before they're old enough to have leg problems.

I had two in my very first batch of ducks and I will never ever do that again--one of them was always lame, never could keep up with the others, and the other one was only sometimes lame. Poor, poor ducks.

Of course, check for a cause--bumble foot, sprains, rough surfaces, etc.--and maybe you can do something to make life easier. And lots of swimming water is great, with easy entrance and exit. My ducks won't use the 3-acre lake at the bottom of our property either--too chicken for it (too duck for it?) I guess. They used to go down there when they had a brave papa goose to lead the way, but now they hang around the house. You might be able to convince them to go down there by walking down every day and going in the water yourself every day... but it takes time and I'm not sure it's worth the effort, lol.

Good luck with him. I hope you're able to make him comfy and give him a good life.

 

[AdamD77]

How old are they? It may be arthritis due to his weight maybe? I assume ducks can get it like most animals...

 

[birdbrain5]

Quote:
this is what i was affraid of. i figured it was kind of like a cornish chicken or a broad breasted turkey. i read how they cant be kept pets either because of the weight thier legs wont hold up. its too bad, i really hope he can manage to keep getting around. i had no idea when i got him that he was infact a jumbo, i was just suspicious of his size and figured he probably was. comparing him to other ducks i am quite sure. i got them as adults earlier this spring, they didnt have any trouble at all when i got them, this one boy is just recently having a hard time so its not like the previous owners knew. they rehomed them for other reasons. i am going to get pics of his feet and look them over again later when i have help. thanks for the info, please

for me that he at least stays mobile! i hate to lose him hes only a year or so old. hes my trouble maker and steals the horse grain out from under thier noses so i have to pick him up and carry him around while they all eat lol. hes too cute.

 

[FenDruadin]

With any luck, he'll be like my jumbo who was mobile most of the time with just intervals of discomfort. It sounds like he was fine for most of his life so far, so he probably won't always be lame. Also, the stress of change probably played a part. Think of it like this: We all have our weak points, whatever they may be, and when we're under stress, that's what tends to fail first. For a jumbo pekin, the weak point is the legs. With some rest, TLC, and as he gets used to his new home hopefully he'll recover full mobility and be a happy, healthy ducky for you.