Runner Duck with lame legs

[Dm3223]

Hey there so today when I let my ducks out the one female who recently started laying was unable to stand up, and also had black diarrhea. we brought her inside to get her warm and give her food oyster shells and water then she started getting the strength to walk again. Shorty after that she laid a rubber egg. She seems a bit shaky but she’s walking now and we picked up electrolytes and poultry vitamins, the electrolytes says it’s for chicken Turkey , swine cattle sheep and horses, can this also be used on ducks? Any advice for any of this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes she can have the electrolytes. Sounds like she may have had the egg pressing on a nerve. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/obturator-paralysis.1438777/

 

[sourland]

I would also consider calcium supplementation above and beyond the oyster shell.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would also consider calcium supplementation above and beyond the oyster shell.

X2

 

[Dm3223]

Thank you so much for the replies! Would it be okay if my other ducks drank the electrolytes/calcium too? I imagine it’s all good because it’s just more vitamins but I just didn’t want to assume

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes no problem. But if she keeps laying rubber eggs I’d get calcium citrate or calcium gluconate to give her the extra calcium she needs to lay and have strong shells. What feed are you using?

 

[Dm3223]

Yes no problem. But if she keeps laying rubber eggs I’d get calcium citrate or calcium gluconate to give her the extra calcium she needs to lay and have strong shells. What feed are you using?

We feed them these duck pellets Mixed with a poultry grain that contains corn barley and wheat

 

[Dm3223]

We feed them these duck pellets Mixed with a poultry grain that contains corn barley and wheat

Tons of peas as well

 

[Miss Lydia]

That's good feed many on here feed duck pellets. But when one of our females has a problem laying or lays soft shells [Im talking about one after the other. ] then we need to get them calcium gluconate many of us keep it on hand. TSC carries it it's a liquid and will say injectable but we use it orally over peas 1ml daily until the soft shell laying has stopped. New layers will lay soft shell eggs once in a while but it usually only lasts a short time while the system is getting straightened out.

 

[Dm3223]

That's good feed many on here feed duck pellets. But when one of our females has a problem laying or lays soft shells [Im talking about one after the other. ] then we need to get them calcium gluconate many of us keep it on hand. TSC carries it it's a liquid and will say injectable but we use it orally over peas 1ml daily until the soft shell laying has stopped. New layers will lay soft shell eggs once in a while but it usually only lasts a short time while the system is getting straightened out.

Thank you so much! really appreciate it