Runner duck - leg problem?

[petchickenlover]

Alright, we got this fella from a friend who'd tried hatching out runners and only one hatched. so,since we got our 2 ducklings, we offered to take him. He'd been living in her bathtub for about 3 weeks [his entire life until we got him, i think.] But, his leg's are bent funny. they're not as straight as our other two ducklings.Is there any way we can straighten them out?
I hope you can see what i mean in these pics

 

[Stormy Autumn]

That could be a vitamin deficiency, or it could just be a birth defect. There is someone on this forum who has an adult duck with the same kind of legs, and I think her's was just born that way. What are you feeding them currently? Sometimes if ducks don't get enough niacin and other B vitamins it will result in leg problems, but I'm not sure if that's what this is.

 

[peepsandquacks]

poor little guy, living his young life alone in a bath tub :-(. makes me sad. no idea about the leg issue....but hopefully you can give him a much better life.

 

[petchickenlover]

Quote:
He's being fed Purina flock raiser [suggested by Holderread's farm] but I'm not sure what the woman was feeding him before.

Quote:
when he first came he was terrified of the other ducks, now they are best friends

 

[DuckLover2399]

It looks a little like splayed leg. But im no expert so wait for the expert people to come

 

[Stormy Autumn]

You might try adding some vitamins (especially niacin) to his diet. It couldn't hurt.

I hope more people answer as well. I wish I could remember the name of that handicapped duck I saw on here recently! It's legs were JUST LIKE these, if I recall correctly.

 

[petchickenlover]

So is there any way we can brace it so they're straight or something?

 

[DuckLover2399]

I've heard of some people putting splints on them

 

[duckyfromoz]

I am wondering if maybe the tendons may have slipped. It will cause them to walk like that. tendons can be slipped back into place if correctly quickly enough- but you may still be able to help this little one if that is the problem. You could check one of your normal ducklings and see what the back of the hock looks like. You can see the tendon running down the back. The little guy in the photo does seem to have nobly hocks- so it does look like there is something not quite right there.

 

[Shiloh Acres]

I've never seen it in a duckling, but if he was raised on just the bathtub floor, very possibly that's the cause (too slippery). At three weeks it might be too late, but if it were me, I'd still try to splint it. And get him on a supplement for niacin, just in case that's the cause also (would probably correct itself with supplemental niacin if it's just a deficiency).

Good luck with him!