Seizing duckling?!?

[CarlieO]

OK oh wise ones , I'm new to the whole duck world and I need your advice/input please!!!

I purchased some ducklings from a local feed store, all different breeds. They're maybe 3 weeks old, in a brooder under heat, eating non-medicated feed, etc etc. Today I went to pick them up to put them in a huge bucket so I could clean their brooder. The first 2 went in fine but before I could even pick up my little Cayuga he went stiff in the brooder on his back with his legs stretched out straight and his (it's) neck/head turned nearly 180 degrees to it's stomach and just laid there! By the time it was his turn to go in the bucket he was back to normal so I picked him up, put him in the bucket with the rest of them and he did it again! Then after about 30 seconds to a minute he popped back up and was acting like nothing happened. THEN after I was done cleaning their brooder and ready to move them back in he 'seized' again in my hands and laid again, on his back, legs outstretched, head turned like an alien creature 180 degrees. He laid like that for a minute then popped back up, appeared SLIGHTLY (practically unnoticeable) wobbly on his feet but was fine, running back and forth between the feed and water.

Has anyone ever seen or heard of this happening? It's the most bizzare looking thing I have ever seen with an animal!

Thanks for all your help!!

 

[creaturelife]

i think he will be a special need duck but there is some thing called niacin think that is how it is spelled that might help him

 

[jenniemig]

Maybe it's some sort of reaction to stress? Keep an eye on him/her and see if it does it again and note how often, and the duration of the episode.

Ducklings do require different nutrition than a chick so you need to supplement the chick starter with either 100-150mg PLAIN niacin (not time released or no flush) crushed and dissolved in 1 gallon of water, OR sprinkle brewers yeast on their food. You can find the plain Niacin and brewers yeast at health food stores like Whole Foods. I switched mine to Mazuri Waterfowl Starter for the extra vitamins.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I think jennimig is on to it, seems about the age of your duckling is when niacin dif shows up 2-3 weeks so please get either the niacin or brewers yeast and start giving it to them all. Niacin dif can cause neurological problems and leg problems so treating quick is key usually takes a couple 3 days to notice improvement please keep us updated on how your lil one is doing. They need to be on the supplement for at least 10 weeks.

 

[CarlieO]

Maybe it's some sort of reaction to stress? Keep an eye on him/her and see if it does it again and note how often, and the duration of the episode.

Ducklings do require different nutrition than a chick so you need to supplement the chick starter with either 100-150mg PLAIN niacin (not time released or no flush) crushed and dissolved in 1 gallon of water, OR sprinkle brewers yeast on their food. You can find the plain Niacin and brewers yeast at health food stores like Whole Foods. I switched mine to Mazuri Waterfowl Starter for the extra vitamins.

I think jennimig is on to it, seems about the age of your duckling is when niacin dif shows up 2-3 weeks so please get either the niacin or brewers yeast and start giving it to them all. Niacin dif can cause neurological problems and leg problems so treating quick is key usually takes a couple 3 days to notice improvement please keep us updated on how your lil one is doing. They need to be on the supplement for at least 10 weeks.

Thank you all so much for your input! I went to the local feed store and they don't have any feed formulated for waterfowl/ducks but I did find some vitamin/electrolyte powder that has niacin in it to put in their water. Do you think that would be something safe to do until I can get ahold of some brewers yeast or niacin? I have some brewers yeast I purchased for my dog a few years ago but never used all of it. Does it expire at all that you're aware of?

I definitely want to treat him asap. I'm a bit disappointed in the feed store that I purchased them all from as they said just to feed them non-medicated chick starter. Had I known I definitely would have started them on something better than that.

Again, thank you!!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you all so much for your input! I went to the local feed store and they don't have any feed formulated for waterfowl/ducks but I did find some vitamin/electrolyte powder that has niacin in it to put in their water. Do you think that would be something safe to do until I can get ahold of some brewers yeast or niacin? I have some brewers yeast I purchased for my dog a few years ago but never used all of it. Does it expire at all that you're aware of?

I definitely want to treat him asap. I'm a bit disappointed in the feed store that I purchased them all from as they said just to feed them non-medicated chick starter. Had I known I definitely would have started them on something better than that.

Again, thank you!!!

We've all learned that most folks who work at feed stores [work at feed stores and that's it] lol as far as the brewers yeast you bought for your dog there should be an expiration date on the can or bottle somewhere, usually after a year or 2 it's lost it's potency but getting the vits with electrolytes is good till you can get the other. Is your Cayuga crested by any chance?

 

[CarlieO]

I think jennimig is on to it, seems about the age of your duckling is when niacin dif shows up 2-3 weeks so please get either the niacin or brewers yeast and start giving it to them all. Niacin dif can cause neurological problems and leg problems so treating quick is key usually takes a couple 3 days to notice improvement please keep us updated on how your lil one is doing. They need to be on the supplement for at least 10 weeks.

Ok so the brewers yeast I have here at home has dehydrated garlic, zinc oxide, and biotin added to it (it's for dogs and cats). Are those extra ingredients safe for ducklings? It says it contains 55 mg of Niacin. Something strange though, the bottle says it has tablets in it but it's definitely a powder that's in there, no tablets to be found!! They must have dissolved over time. There's also no expiration date on it. Just wondering if you think it's ok to give since it's all I have at this very moment.

 

[jenniemig]

We've all learned that most folks who work at feed stores [work at feed stores and that's it] lol as far as the brewers yeast you bought for your dog there should be an expiration date on the can or bottle somewhere, usually after a year or 2 it's lost it's potency but getting the vits with electrolytes is good till you can get the other. Is your Cayuga crested by any chance?

Miss Lydia you read my mind, I was about to ask about the Crested part.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok so the brewers yeast I have here at home has dehydrated garlic, zinc oxide, and biotin added to it (it's for dogs and cats). Are those extra ingredients safe for ducklings? It says it contains 55 mg of Niacin. Something strange though, the bottle says it has tablets in it but it's definitely a powder that's in there, no tablets to be found!! They must have dissolved over time. There's also no expiration date on it. Just wondering if you think it's ok to give since it's all I have at this very moment.

Just to be safe I wouldn't thinking that maybe a tad more zinc than a duckling would need. just do the electrolytes for tonight until you can get plain niacin or Brewers yeast.

 

[CarlieO]

We've all learned that most folks who work at feed stores [work at feed stores and that's it] lol as far as the brewers yeast you bought for your dog there should be an expiration date on the can or bottle somewhere, usually after a year or 2 it's lost it's potency but getting the vits with electrolytes is good till you can get the other. Is your Cayuga crested by any chance?

LOL I posted to your last post before I saw this one, oops! I don't see a date, just a sticker that says 070704 but I know that can't be the expiration date because the dog we bought it for wasn't born until 2010 and it was purchased sometime a year or so after that.

I don't believe it's crested; at this point there is no crest.