Runner duckling questions-shaky legs

[sebastes]

Hey all, new member here with a couple questions about my runner ducklings.
I've got two runner ducks, a male blue and a female fawn. They are about 2.5 weeks old, growing fast and very entertaining.

Since I got them, the male prefers to sit more often then not, and it also seems like it doesn't stand upright as much as the female. Within the last week it's had a pretty shaky leg when standing. I'm wondering if there's anything that can and should be done.

They are being fed an organic chick starter from my feed store and they reccomended 2 tpsp of Brewers yeast per cup of food, which they have been getting.

Is that a proper dosage?

Also, yesterday I picked up one more newly hatched blue female runner and I tried to put them in the same brooder but the two older ones were pretty aggressive towards it. I attempted to make a chicken wire barrier in the brooder but one of them kept harassing the little one, biting it's bill and pulling its head through the chicken wire.

I went and bought a second lamp and set up a brooder and am hoping I will be able to house them together when the little one gets bigger. Is the aggressive behavior normal? Any tips on introducing the new one?
Thanks for any assistance

 

[blueducklings]

Baby ducks grow at a very fast rate
A 2.5 week old is 3 times the size of a new hatchling
I usually desperate mine in a completely separate brooder
Maybe you can get another little baby and raise them separate till they are 8 and 10 weeks as then they would have reached their full size and no longer a threat
As for the legs
It could have been a sprain from shipping?
Make sure there is enough niacin
Good luck

 

[Amiga]

@sebastes

Welcome!

Generally, folks on the forum use a tablespoon of brewer's yeast per cup of food. You might also consider once every week or two some poultry vitamins with probiotics and electrolytes.

Have you seen this? https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/750869/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings#post_10611711

At 2.5 weeks, you could let them play in water just up to their bellies that's about 75F (near the brooder temperature) for five or ten minutes a day - it might help strengthen the legs and improve flexibility as well. And it's fun. But they need to be supervised nonstop in the tub.

The behavior you are seeing is not surprising. Either get a smaller-mesh fence or yes, separate them so they cannot get at one another, and start slow reintroductions when they are about the same height.

Please keep us posted!

 

[sebastes]

https://vid.me/kou4

Tried to get a video of the shaky legs, hopefully it works. I think they are set on niacin as only one had issues with shaky legs. Nowhere locally I've been able to find poultry vitamins, I plan on buying some online tonight.
They get warm baths and love them indeed. I ended up getting a fourth duckling to keep the third companyAnd luckily, all four ducks get along great now. I built a little run out back, and am working on a coop/nesting box next. I've been putting them out in he run during th day with a heat lamp provided as it's been a bit windy and cool

 

[sebastes]

Forgot to include some pictures of the flock

They

 

[Amiga]