Updated- Adult Pekin duck - problem walking

[badhabitz98]

I have a year old Pekin hen that's not been walking well for the past week. I started polyvisol (without iron) about 5 days ago even though they typically eat flock raiser. I missed giving it to her yesterday so she's had 4 doses. I've checked feet and legs and I don't see anything abnormal. She just doesn't seem to have the strength to carry her weight. I've checked her belly to make sure she wasn't eggbound and she seems fine. She's eating and drinking and pooping fine as well and I wormed them with Valbazen on Sunday in case it was worms. She fights like crazy trying to keep up with her sisters except when they swim. She can't get in and out of the pool on her own. She will walk 20-30 feet and lay down. Then get up and do it again. What else can I check or do? I didn't see anything weird on the bottom of her feet and her joints don't seem to be swollen. Or maybe they are and it's on both legs so I'm missing it. She hates to be held so it's a battle. Can anyone offer any other suggestions on what could be going on?

 

[badhabitz98]

There are some pics of legs and feet. She is muddy right now from digging in mud. Here are a couple videos of what's going on. The long one shows quite a bit when she stands back up. She's the duck that gets left behind in the beginning of the video. The other video is a close up of her when I walked up to her.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@badhabitz98 she is chunky too? Duck in general don't have real sturdy legs and Pekins being on the larger side can have leg issues more than other breeds. I'd keep her and her sister penned up for a while or at least the one having walking trouble but where they can all see each other, this is just to get her to rest and not be trying to keep up with everyone. It wouldn't hurt to get some Brewers yeast or nutritional yeast[ natural food store] and sprinkle on top of their[her feed] too even though we rec this for young ducklings because they need niacin to have strong legs. But It could help here to. I would also get some good poultry vitamins and add to her drinking water. This will boost her immune system and help give added nutrients when they maybe missing right now. Rest and nutritional support right now may help. What feed do you use? Does she lay regular? Also if you can make the time to give her some water therapy daily this can also help her with leg problems it takes the weight off the legs and swimming around can help strengthen leg muscles. Helping her in an out of the pool or making a ramp for her to get in. But probably picking her up to get in and out would be best don't want her jumping down onto her legs right now,

Dosage for the Nutritional yeast is 1Tab per cup of feed.

 

[badhabitz98]

I do add brewers yeast to their feed once a week, but I'll look at penning her up for a bit and see if that helps and I'll add brewers yeast to her food daily. She's currently eating Flock Raiser since I have ducks and chickens. She doesn't feel super chunky compared to the other two. She's just really fluffy. Lol! I feel pretty confident it may be a strain, but I wanted to make sure to post the pics and videos in case I'm missing something that's going on.

 

[badhabitz98]

As for the laying, I typically get 2 duck eggs a day (sometimes even 3) with 3 ducks. I'm pretty sure she's laying ok. I'll also try to help her in and out of the pool but she will end up "fluttering" out of the pool if I get near it while she's in it. She's very skittish. I hesitate stalking her to give her the polyvisol as it is because she runs from me and won't stop until she falls over. I've had these girls since they were a couple days old and I handled them all the time. For whatever reason, they don't care for being around us much. The chickens on the other hand, can't get enough of us. Strange animals lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

As for the laying, I typically get 2 duck eggs a day (sometimes even 3) with 3 ducks. I'm pretty sure she's laying ok. I'll also try to help her in and out of the pool but she will end up "fluttering" out of the pool if I get near it while she's in it. She's very skittish. I hesitate stalking her to give her the polyvisol as it is because she runs from me and won't stop until she falls over. I've had these girls since they were a couple days old and I handled them all the time. For whatever reason, they don't care for being around us much. The chickens on the other hand, can't get enough of us. Strange animals lol

They do have their quirkiness, Don't run her down just add vits to her water and BY to her feed. FR is good feed so hopefully with a bit of rest and some extra nutrients she'll be back to herself in no time.

 

[badhabitz98]

Ok so... I'm still dealing with this. I also posted another thread after this one which has some additional information here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1166493/is-this-bumblefoot#post_18356681: . I really can't figure out what's wrong with her. She doesn't act like either leg is bothering her in particular but she doesn't like for me to mess with her legs and feet. The scabs which I thought were bumblefoot (or the start of it) are gone and have been for two days. There is,no swelling at all. She can't seem to keep her balance. When she tries to preen, she's teeter totters forward and backward until she falls. Walking, she stumbles and falls and uses her wings to help. Here's what all I've done. I don't know what else it could be so I'm hoping you guys can throw a few other things out there for me to try or what to look for.

I de-wormed just in case
She's had brewers yeast or polyvisol w/out iron daily on top of her flock raiser food
She's been in a dog crate for over a week
I was soaking her daily in epsom salt baths but haven't for the past 3 days. It didn't seem to help and she hated it
I was using verterycin on what I thought might be bumblefoot and the toenail she's recently torn off with the falling
She gets 2-3 hours of swim time a day (split into 2-3 times a day
She's eating, drinking and pooping fine and mad as all get out because I'm only letting her visit her sisters 30 min a day. She's also laying well.
I neither feel nor see any swelling or heat in the legs or hip area

She seems to fall back on her hocks more often than falling forward but she does fall onto her chest some too.

Can you guys think of anything else to try? I'm at my wits end and close to giving up but she seems healthy so I'm trying to give her more time. How long do strains take to heal, if it's that?

Thank you!

 

[badhabitz98]

Here's the newest video of what's going on. Doesn't show it super well, but this is actually pretty decent walking compared to what's been going on.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Here's the newest video of what's going on. Doesn't show it super well, but this is actually pretty decent walking compared to what's been going on.

@badhabitz98
She really is struggling poor thing. How long has she been on the vits and the Brewers yeast? a week? it may just take more time if it's a niacin deficiency. Maybe try some Poultry Nutri Drench that can be given straight into her bill and gets into the blood stream fast. along with the BY

If she is laying good and eating good then this could very well be a nutritional def. Does she get Oyster shell because if she is laying maybe it's a calcium def? it takes alot of calcium to produce egg shell and if they don't get it from food and or grazing it comes out of the bones. So lets try some calcium citrate you can put it into her water if she is drinking good. I use it for my layers if one lays a soft shell.

 

[badhabitz98]

I have been giving her polyvisol since I noticed the limp. A bit over two weeks. I started her on brewers yeast daily after the original post, so almost two weeks. I will try to get some calcium down her today. I have also given nutri drench once but she was very unhappy about it so I went with polyvisol and BY since then. How much calcium do I need to give her? I will have to look and see what mg my tablets are that I take. It's calcium citrate though.