Weak legs, 4 week-old Welsh Harlequin male, any advice?

[DogsDucks&Cat]

Hi everyone,

My male Welsh Harlequin who will be four weeks old this coming Monday, August 7th, has weak, shaky legs and walks a bit pigeon-toed. He's in a flock with another duck of the same age and three others who are a week younger, and he has some trouble keeping up with them. I have been supplementing their food (DuMor chick starter) with plenty of brewer's yeast from the get-go and none of the others are having any problems, so I wouldn't think it would be due to niacin deficiency. He had a huge jump in growth compared to the other of the same age (a female Cayuga) early on, and I'm wondering if his legs are just continuing to have trouble supporting his weight.

Does anyone have any advice or ideas of things I could try to get his legs to strengthen up? In addition to the brewer's yeast, I've been trying to make sure he walks around a lot to hopefully build the leg muscle.

Thank you,
Emily

 

[cheezenkwackers]

One of my girls did the same thing (also with plenty of Brewer's yeast. She eventually grew out of it. I think you are right that sometimes they just grow too fast.

 

[CarleeAnn]

Around the same age one of my two ducks had the same problem! We did a good amount of supervised water time and I think that helped her hips strength with out the strain of her weight. She's stil pigeon-toed and is definitely fatter than my other duck who has great posture! It took my duck about three days to get over her weakness. We always noticed she walked funny and was bigger, then one day she would walk- then plop! And she would always do this. I think we inadvertently encouraged leg strength when trying to ovbserve how she walked, we would walk away and stop to watch her. We kept up the normal routine and she still got plenty of rest and food (nothing extra- just Dumor unmediated starter). We were considering staking her to the vet when the next day we awoke to her running circles in her bin! I hope your duck does the same.

Good luck!

 

[DogsDucks&Cat]

Thank you both for the responses! As of yet it's not causing him TOO big a problem, just that he's slower (though he can be just as quick if he really wants to) and plops down more often than the others, but it's hard to see him at less than optimal condition, and it does concern me a bit for when we fully integrate them with our three older ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Leg weakness is usually from niacin deficiency so to make sure I'd start your duckling on Brewers yeast or Nutritional yeast 1 Tab per cup of feed till at least 10 weeks old. All water fowl from hatch till at least 10 weeks should have supplemental niacin since chick feed doesn't have enough for them.

 

[DogsDucks&Cat]

Leg weakness is usually from niacin deficiency so to make sure I'd start your duckling on Brewers yeast or Nutritional yeast 1 Tab per cup of feed till at least 10 weeks old. All water fowl from hatch till at least 10 weeks should have supplemental niacin since chick feed doesn't have enough for them.

Thanks, I have been using brewer's yeast this whole time and will continue to do so.

 

[SARAH's little HOMESTEAD]

Im having this same problem, Noticed it more in the past week. he seems a little lethargic. and does the same plop down when he seems to loose his balance. He also puts his wings out to try to catch his balance. Im saying hes a "Him" cause he is still peeping while the other three are clearly quacking. Please keep me posted on how yours turns out. Im adding Brewers yeast back to food today. Give him a few weeks to see if things improve.

 

[lomine]

Some ducklings need a little more than the recommended amounts. I had a similar issue with one of mine even though I was adding the right amount of brewer's yeast to the feed. So I added a little more brewer's yeast. In less than a week the duckling was up and running around just as fast as the others.

 

[SARAH's little HOMESTEAD]

Some ducklings need a little more than the recommended amounts. I had a similar issue with one of mine even though I was adding the right amount of brewer's yeast to the feed. So I added a little more brewer's yeast. In less than a week the duckling was up and running around just as fast as the others.

how much would you say is appropriate amount per cup of food. right now im doing 1 teaspoon per cup

 

[lomine]

I did one cup fer 10 pounds of feed. I believe it's one tablespoon per cup of feed. If you are only giving one teaspoon that is low.