Something wrong with duck leg

[Italianmango]

Hello. We have a 4 year old female Cayuga. Yesterday she was free ranging with another 4 year old female Cayuga. Everything was fine, my daughter came home, saw them both outside walking just fine. I went out about an hour or so later to let everyone in (the two of them plus our 6 hens) and I noticed one of the cayaguas laying down by the front of the coop. I picked her up and noticed she wasn’t putting weight on one of her legs. She’s eating fine, drinking fine when she’s by the water/food and can stand on one leg/foot but when she attempts to walk, she flops down. My daughter looked at her foot and leg but can’t see anything. Is there something specific we should look for? I’m not even sure I can find a vet that would look at her or if it’s a sprain, something we could treat and wait? Hoping for some insight. Thank you.

 

[nuthatched]

Hi there, what's her diet? Does she get enough niacin?

 

[Italianmango]

Hello. She eats all flock feed and then forages. I’m thinking she’s ok with niacin because she was completely fine (not limping or favoring leg) but just something must have happened within that hour. Not sure how to check if it’s a sprain or something else. She doesn’t react when we move her leg but I believe that’s normal (not showing pain if something is wrong, correct?).

 

[nuthatched]

Hello. She eats all flock feed and then forages. I’m thinking she’s ok with niacin because she was completely fine (not limping or favoring leg) but just something must have happened within that hour. Not sure how to check if it’s a sprain or something else. She doesn’t react when we move her leg but I believe that’s normal (not showing pain if something is wrong, correct?).

Any heat coming from the leg? Swelling?

 

[Italianmango]

It doesn’t look swollen but feels a bit warm…not sure if it’s because she is laying on her feet. It’s strange because I see her standing for awhile but then as she goes to take a step, she flops down so most of today she’s just been laying down. Now I can’t seem to tell if it’s just one foot/leg or both. I placed a food and water bowl next to her and she’s eating and drinking fine.

 

[Jenbirdee]

To start off I would put her in a 5 gallon bucket with a lid that has a hole cut out for her head to pop out the top and put about 10 inches of lukewarm water with a couple handfuls of Epson salt mixed in and let her soak for 20 or 30 minutes a couple times a day.
The reason you use the bucket is so that she can’t drink any or she’ll get diarrhea. You can carefully feel the leg up and down all the way from top to bottom and compare it to the other one. See if there’s anything that feels different. Look at the bottoms of her feet. In case there’s any bumble foot. Don’t leave her out foraging with the others give her a quiet, clean area by herself to rest. I usually bring a limping duck inside. I have what I call a duck hospital room and I bring in their best friend duck to keep them company.

 

[Jenbirdee]

You can also give her some time just swimming and floating in your bathtub in lukewarm water It will feel good and strengthen the leg.. even if it is an injury and not a niacin deficiency, it can help to give her some niacin in the form of niacinamide. The best in my opinion to use is liquid B complex. Give her one ML a day or early even though the bottle says it’s injectable. Here’s a picture of what myself and several others here rely on.

And here are instructions on how to give it orally
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...dications-to-all-poultry-and-waterfowl.73335/

Many times I have seen a duck limp for a day or two because they were out running around and perhaps twisted their ankle or something just like people do, and by a few few days of rest and soaking and swimming, they are fine. If she is still eating and drinking like normal, that’s a great sign. I had a duck who had a broken leg. The bones were actually completely broken apart in three places.(I got her x-rayed at the vet back when I had enough money for vets.) and she would not eat or drink at all because she was in so much pain. I gave her pain medication and tube fed her for a couple of weeks. She regained strength as it healed and lived another year until she broke it again sadly but what I’m saying is if it was broken badly, she probably wouldn’t eat.