sick runner duck or runt?

[Percival]

We are new to raising ducks and have 2 Pekins and 2 Runners. They are 5 weeks old. We do not know their sex. One of our runners, which I will call Bluey, has always been a bit more shy and smaller than the others. In the past week or so Bluey has become more withdrawn. He/she stays away from the other ducks and wants to sit down a lot, alone. Bluey drinks and eats but without as much vigor or frequency as the others. He/she forages a little but not as much as the others. We are wondering if something is wrong with Bluey or if he/she is just a runt. Another thing-Bluey's feathers are not as formed as the other ducks- there is still a bit of fuzz where the other ducks have smooth feathers. Any ideas? We would appreciate any thoughts on this. Thank you!

 

[Amiga]

I would get the little on some brewer's yeast or at least plain niacin in water (150 mg to 1 gallon water). That is often a problem for young ducks.

It won't hurt the others, either. A rounded tablespoon of brewer's yeast in their food once a day may help.

Also, I would give everyone some poultry vitamins in their water once a week, or once every two weeks till they are about 4 months old.

 

[Percival]

Thank you so much for the reply, Amiga! We appreciate the advice and will make a trip to the feed store ASAP.