Pekin hen not recovering

[BlackRaven27]

Hi all - my 4 year old Pekin hen, Jane, has been struggling for awhile with an apparent sinus infection and injured leg. There are photos to show how awful she looks.

Information:

- she developed an extreme limp very suddenly 4 months ago (left leg).
- her limp has slowly gotten worse to the point now where she uses her wings to balance herself when standing, she often steps on herself when walking, she stumbles and can't stand for long periods. It is no longer clear which leg is bothering her.
- her legs feel and look normal as do her feet (not hot, twisted, swollen, cut, bumble foot).
- she developed wet eyes 2 months ago. One eye gets better and then gets worse back and forth, never quite recovering.
- her breathing is mostly normal, only occasionally do her eyes actually develop foam.
- she hasn't laid eggs in over 6 months, and when she did they were awful (not a proper shell, thin, bumpy, calcium lumps) despite having access to oyster shell.
- her mate, Bubba, is a massive Pekin drake.
- her wings shake / shiver when she stands up.
- she eats and drinks voraciously and has never had a decline in either of those appetites.
- her poop is normal.
- she can flap her wings vigorously.
- she enjoys swimming still, but I don't have anything but a kiddie pool for her (not deep enough to rest legs below her).
- she doesn't seem to use her oil gland for preening anymore (this is why she appears soaked).


What I've done:

- sadly, there are no vets in my area that deal with ducks, so I can't take her to a vet.
- I am in Canada so I do not have access to antibiotics.
- I tried spraying both eyes and her nares with Vetericyn for a week, nothing changed so stopped.
- separated her from her mate for a month and her limp seemed better but she didn't like being alone so they're back together again.
- provided her charcoal water but she refused to drink it.
- brought her up near my house in a small pen with no pool so she didnt get soaked and didnt need to move around. She was just miserable and didn't seem to improve at all.

What I think happened:

I think the breed isn't meant to live long, and with her being big and her mate being even bigger (I don't think they are jumbo's, but they might be) I think the drake threw her leg out and injured her sinus tract during mating. He doesn't mate with her anymore even when they're both in the pool. I suspect this drake may have downed one of my other Pekin hens last year (I have a much larger stock tank then for them to play in), but I have no proof of this. He is awful at mating, and sometimes just stands on her. He has not attempted mating in quite some time as I scared him off every time he tried.

I want to separate her from her mate again and have a smaller crate for her each night to sleep in that has fresh bedding in it but have it close enough that she can see and hear him. I also want to give her brewers yeast in case this is a niacin deficiency. I don't know if swimming is a good idea or not due to the wet feathers; this ruins her bedding very quickly once she gets out.

I thought it might have been botulism (hence charcoal water) but she would be dead by now if it were. If anyone has any suggestions please let me know.

I am on the edge of culling her because I don't want her to keep suffering but seriously prefer not to have to.

 

[Jenbirdee]

for her eyes: get Terramycin ointment . TSC or online. Rinse gently the eyes with saline, then use the terramycin.
What does she eat? (What do you feed her?)
Sounds like she needs more Niacin and more Calcium as well. There is a liquid B Complex that says its injectable for cattle but give her 1 ml daily, maybe more because she is probably weighs more than 5 pounds..? I'll see if I can find a dosage chart I know I saw one on here somewhere last week.
For the calcium there is calcium gluconate, same thing 1 ml per day .
There is also an excellent article about "wet feather" by majestic waterfowl sanctuary that explains how you can massage her oil gland to try and get it functioning again. I'll post that below

 

[Jenbirdee]

scroll down to where it says "OIL GLAND" and read from there
http://www.majesticwaterfowl.org/mmissue71.htm

 

[Jenbirdee]

Safely Administering Oral Medications to All Poultry and Waterfowl​

https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

 

[Jenbirdee]

and this https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/calcium-gluconate-for-egg-bound-ducks-preliminary.959537/
has the dosing for the calcium gluconate
it might be the same for the B complex but Im not sure
@Miss Lydia @cheezenkwackers may know

 

[BlackRaven27]

for her eyes: get Terramycin ointment . TSC or online. Rinse gently the eyes with saline, then use the terramycin.
What does she eat? (What do you feed her?)
Sounds like she needs more Niacin and more Calcium as well. There is a liquid B Complex that says its injectable for cattle but give her 1 ml daily, maybe more because she is probably weighs more than 5 pounds..? I'll see if I can find a dosage chart I know I saw one on here somewhere last week.
For the calcium there is calcium gluconate, same thing 1 ml per day .
There is also an excellent article about "wet feather" by majestic waterfowl sanctuary that explains how you can massage her oil gland to try and get it functioning again. I'll post that below

Thank you for your reply.

I feed her layer pellets 16%. She has access to oyster shells, but maybe she doesn't like them. She weigh more like 7-10lbs I believe.

I can't get either of those durvet products in Canada so will look for different brands I might be able to use. The only Terramycin I can get is the attached photo - will that work?

I will read through the wet feather article tonight after work.

Appreciate your input.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@New duck mommy 2021 maybe able to help you locate things you need since she’s in Canada.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

Where in Canada are you located ?
I’m in Alberta I have both durvet calcium and vitamin B
Pekins especially larger ones need a lot niacin
I use nutritional yeast not brewers as it is better
1tbs to 1 cup feed
When young I do this constant till 10-12 weeks then sprinkle it on adult feed a few tines a week. Because your girl is struggling I would get her on that in every feed
But you also need the B complex right away
I had a friend bring me some from the USA
This will take weeks to see any improvements
Her eyes maybe bad cause she isn’t bathing and cleaning herself as much cause of her balance issues
Maybe I can find a way to get you a bottle of the B
As for oyster shells my girls won’t eat the little white rock like ones the feed stores sell
I have to buy mine from Amazon and they are actual crushed oyster shells not white rocks
Maybe try that I’ll post pics of the ones I get
I also get my nutritional yeast off Amazon

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I’m not sure how good this place is but has over 800 reviews
It sells the durvet products In Canada
https://www.you-buy.ca/en/product/P...mplex-injectable-farming-livestock-care-100ml

 

[BlackRaven27]

Where in Canada are you located ?
I’m in Alberta I have both durvet calcium and vitamin B
Pekins especially larger ones need a lot niacin
I use nutritional yeast not brewers as it is better
1tbs to 1 cup feed
When young I do this constant till 10-12 weeks then sprinkle it on adult feed a few tines a week. Because your girl is struggling I would get her on that in every feed
But you also need the B complex right away
I had a friend bring me some from the USA
This will take weeks to see any improvements
Her eyes maybe bad cause she isn’t bathing and cleaning herself as much cause of her balance issues
Maybe I can find a way to get you a bottle of the B
As for oyster shells my girls won’t eat the little white rock like ones the feed stores sell
I have to buy mine from Amazon and they are actual crushed oyster shells not white rocks
Maybe try that I’ll post pics of the ones I get
I also get my nutritional yeast off Amazon

Thank you for your comment.

I'm in British Columbia - where do you purchase your Durvet from?

And yes, I use the actual crushed oyster shells not the limestone grits.

I will buy some nutritional yeast from grocery store then.