Runner ducklings walk strange

[Xzayler]

Hello, I have an issue with 2 of the 15 runner ducklings my dad keeps, and as the title says, it's with their walking. The two that hatched last walk as if they were trying to walk on tiptoes, keeping their legs totally straight the whole time, while they lean forward and seem to have trouble balancing. Their legs look fine though, as in they aren't like in the images I saw in the niacin deficiency thread, and can move in every way that they are supposed to which I can see when they sit down or swim so I'm not sure why they would keep them straight while walking. Swimming for these 2 ducklings isn't a problem at all though.

In the video, it's the small dark one in the middle. I'm sorry for the bad angle but as you can see the 2 with the problem often quickly just lose balance and fall in a sitting position if not going for food or water, and spend a lot of time in their pool or just resting.

In the end it might be a balancing issue and not a leg issue, but I still wouldn't know what to do with a problem like that. My dad just hopes they are male so he can kill them soon, but I'd rather try to help them if I can.

So is there something I can do? Should I even be worried about it? They all eat the same stuff and the other ducklings run around with their backs straight or just waddle.

 

[Isaac 0]

TBH, they look cold. Whats the temp where you are?

 

[Miss Lydia]

They don't have to have bowed legs to have a niacin deficiency. What feed are you using?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[Xzayler]

TBH, they look cold. Whats the temp where you are?

Its around 26-28 degrees Celcius and on top of that the summer sun can add to it. They have a heatlamp close by in a wind-protected area but just don't want to go underneath it during the day. They just seem to like to huddle up when resting.

They don't have to have bowed legs to have a niacin deficiency. What feed are you using?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

Well it's a local feed (so it doesn't have a brand) for ducklings up to 5 weeks old and the ingredients are in Hungarian so I'll just type it out.
Corn grits, corn, soy grit, triticale, barley, wheat grit, feed peas, DDGS, corn germ, wheat, sunflower grit, CGF, feed lime and salt, MCP, wheat bran.
There is also other stuff added to it but this is in english so I attached a picture. I'm not sure wether this helps.

I also have another video where you can see better what they do:

 

[Miss Lydia]

What precious Runners. I see pets an eggs y’all eat them? And pest control. What is the niacin content in this feed. If it’s a chicken feed it doesn’t have near enough for water fowl. But this could also be genetic. Do you hatch your own how many generations?

 

[Xzayler]

Well, the ducklings are my dad's, I'm just trying to take care of them, I don't eat meat at all anymore and always refused to eat anything I had personal bonds with. Believe me, I wish I could do more.

The eggs were bought from a big shop where the parents were kept and then incubated here, so I have no clue about their ancestry.

The feed is a Duck/Goose "starter" feed, so it's specially made and mixed for ducklings and goslings. I have not seen niacin mentioned on the feed's description which is kind of worrysome. I guess I'll try oredering some of the stuff mentioned in the niacin deficiency post.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That would defiantly be worth a shot. It’s at least an inexpensive shot. Please let us know how they are doing it’s usually a pretty fast fix if caught early. Awfully sweet of you to help care for them. My Runners are such a joy to have.

 

[Callender Girl]

I was interested in this thread because all of my runners have come from the same breeder and have basically been fed the same food. Two of my girls, acquired at the same time, always had this funny tip-toe way of walking, so I suspected it was genetic. Neither of them ever fell over, but both looked like they were constantly sneaking up on everybody.

 

[DuckyDonna]

I was interested in this thread because all of my runners have come from the same breeder and have basically been fed the same food. Two of my girls, acquired at the same time, always had this funny tip-toe way of walking, so I suspected it was genetic. Neither of them ever fell over, but both looked like they were constantly sneaking up on everybody.

You know, it's funny you say that because my little chocolate runner boy I got off Craig's list about 1 1/2 years ago also walks on tip toes. He is also small. Much smaller than the rest of my flock although his kids are NOT small at all.

 

[Isaac 0]

I'm sorry, but I've seen cold birds before, the ducklings in the first video look cold to me, they walk on they're tiptoes when they're cold, and the ones in the video have their head tucked way in and are trying to cuddle.