What is going on with my pekin ducks?

[EvaluationUnit]

Hey there,

I've plagued this forum before with my particular duck problems, because I've had a rough go of it with my pekins. I'm just not sure what's going on or what to do. Here's a recap:

April, 2020: pick up 2 ducklings from TSC, Fluff and Quasi. Quasi suffers from wry neck early on, but we nursed him back to health in that sense. He has a persistent running, foamy eye and raspy voice. We treat with many different antibiotics, even culture and treat, to no resolution. He suddenly acts like one leg hurts (staggering and limping), then the other, then loses the ability to use either, seems paralyzed. Vet x-rayed him early on in the one-leg hurting phase, can't find anything wrong. Carprofen and meloxicam do not help him any. Passes on his own shortly after.

October, 2020: adopt 2 ducks from local shelter, Cole and Mayo. Cole is almost exactly Quasi's age, Mayo is a few months younger (young enough we did not know if male or female yet). I assume they also came from TSC and were surrendered by folks who didn't expect their ducklings to get that big. Anyway, Cole comes with a leg infection, already known - we have it under control mostly in 2022. Mayo develops a cough which we treat assuming it came from someone at the shelter. He develops a very raspy voice as an adult.

July, 2021: Fluff starts to limp and act like a leg hurts. Her feet are also turned in more than I remember. Vet xrays her and says she "looks like a rockstar", can't find anything wrong. Sends me with carprofen that seems to have no effect.

August, 2021: Mayo inexplicably starts to limp and act like his leg hurts. We notice bumblefoot forming on the opposite leg and treat. He also develops one foamy eye. We go to the vet, xrays again, nothing wrong with him. Carprofen and meloxicam, again, do nothing. We give him antibiotics as well which don't seem to clear up the eye any.

January, 2022: Mayo loses all function of his legs randomly one night. Still alert and wanting to move around. I bring him to the vet next day - more xrays, he looks perfectly fine, looking for lead ingestion/metal disease which was not found. Vet suspects Marek's disease, we send out a test which comes back negative, but ultimately I have to put Mayo down due to his worsening condition (he prolapsed his vent a day after, likely from straining to stand/walk/move).

I don't know what's happening with my pekins, and I'm concerned whatever it is may be coming for my last two. I feel like all 4 came from the same TSC hatchery, but I can't know for certain. My other 6 of different breeds are totally fine. Is it possible it's just genetics? Is there something I could possibly be looking at? My pekin girl is my favorite out of all of them and I am very concerned for her since she still has her limp since it started mid last year.

Open to any suggestions. They don't free range and can't get into anything that isn't in their run. They have access to fresh, clean water that is changed, at most, every 3 days. They eat pellet food and use a grandpa feeder. There's plenty of opportunities for them to physically injure themselves as they're big birds and constantly fall off ramps and the like, but given we're doing xrays and the like and not discovering anything, it seems that might not be the case unless it's strictly soft tissue that won't heal for some reason.

 

[ruthhope]

Hey there,

I've plagued this forum before with my particular duck problems, because I've had a rough go of it with my pekins. I'm just not sure what's going on or what to do. Here's a recap:

April, 2020: pick up 2 ducklings from TSC, Fluff and Quasi. Quasi suffers from wry neck early on, but we nursed him back to health in that sense. He has a persistent running, foamy eye and raspy voice. We treat with many different antibiotics, even culture and treat, to no resolution. He suddenly acts like one leg hurts (staggering and limping), then the other, then loses the ability to use either, seems paralyzed. Vet x-rayed him early on in the one-leg hurting phase, can't find anything wrong. Carprofen and meloxicam do not help him any. Passes on his own shortly after.

October, 2020: adopt 2 ducks from local shelter, Cole and Mayo. Cole is almost exactly Quasi's age, Mayo is a few months younger (young enough we did not know if male or female yet). I assume they also came from TSC and were surrendered by folks who didn't expect their ducklings to get that big. Anyway, Cole comes with a leg infection, already known - we have it under control mostly in 2022. Mayo develops a cough which we treat assuming it came from someone at the shelter. He develops a very raspy voice as an adult.

July, 2021: Fluff starts to limp and act like a leg hurts. Her feet are also turned in more than I remember. Vet xrays her and says she "looks like a rockstar", can't find anything wrong. Sends me with carprofen that seems to have no effect.

August, 2021: Mayo inexplicably starts to limp and act like his leg hurts. We notice bumblefoot forming on the opposite leg and treat. He also develops one foamy eye. We go to the vet, xrays again, nothing wrong with him. Carprofen and meloxicam, again, do nothing. We give him antibiotics as well which don't seem to clear up the eye any.

January, 2022: Mayo loses all function of his legs randomly one night. Still alert and wanting to move around. I bring him to the vet next day - more xrays, he looks perfectly fine, looking for lead ingestion/metal disease which was not found. Vet suspects Marek's disease, we send out a test which comes back negative, but ultimately I have to put Mayo down due to his worsening condition (he prolapsed his vent a day after, likely from straining to stand/walk/move).

I don't know what's happening with my pekins, and I'm concerned whatever it is may be coming for my last two. I feel like all 4 came from the same TSC hatchery, but I can't know for certain. My other 6 of different breeds are totally fine. Is it possible it's just genetics? Is there something I could possibly be looking at? My pekin girl is my favorite out of all of them and I am very concerned for her since she still has her limp since it started mid last year.

Open to any suggestions. They don't free range and can't get into anything that isn't in their run. They have access to fresh, clean water that is changed, at most, every 3 days. They eat pellet food and use a grandpa feeder. There's plenty of opportunities for them to physically injure themselves as they're big birds and constantly fall off ramps and the like, but given we're doing xrays and the like and not discovering anything, it seems that might not be the case unless it's strictly soft tissue that won't heal for some reason.

Sad that you are having all these repeat problems with your pekins [ my son's and mine are all healthy! 3 as day old chicks from Tractor Supplies and one a rescued "easter duckling" and very likely to have come from Tractor Supplies.]

My initial thought until you wrote "My other 6 of different breeds are totally fine" was that the issue is environmental toxins. If the pekins are in the same coop and run with your other 6, that is unlikely. Your suggestion that it could be a cluster of ducks from the same source with genetic issues might be a possibility. Although the symptoms could have an underlying infectious cause -- which would be more likely than genetic abnormality -- would seem again to be ruled out by your other 6 of different breeds being totally fine. All in all, I think it is likely to just be bad luck in mass produced pekins that aren't bread for strong healthy birds, but just for large numbers to sell as Easter ducklings and the like.

 

[Quatie]

Pekins are one of those breeds that are more difficult to raise. Beginners tend to get them and don't really know they have extra requirements compared to other duck breeds. The ones you adopted likely were in this category.

Pekin require more niacin than any other breed, more than the minimal amount found in most chicken and duck feeds. The niacin levels needs to be supplemented, but most are unaware of this when they go to TSC and get ducks. This was likely what happened with your adopted ducks. Even as adults pekins can benefit from added niacin.

Pekin also a really heavy breed and their legs are not really built for their bodies. Because of their massive size they are more prone to bumblefoot and leg injuries. When they do get a leg injury, they take more time to heal, again because of their massive size.

When my ducks have a leg injury, I put them in a small pen to rest. I use swim therapy to help them exercise their legs with reduced stress. You put them in deep water and where they have to float. It also takes their weight off their leg and eases their discomfort. If there is inflammation, I use an Epsom salt compress on the swollen area and an anti-inflammatory. Depending on how bad the leg injury is, it weeks or more to heal. Yet some will only take days to heal.

Bumblefoot can be a hard one. Once they get it, it can take a long time to heal. I found using duck booties really helps with the healing process. But it is not uncommon for this to take months to heal.

I have far more difficulties with my pekin than I do any of my other ducks and it really has a lot to do with that extra weight. I love my pekin girl, but I personally would not get another one. I have lost two to leg injuries. One was a really bad case of bumblefoot. The other injured her leg stepping off a ramp and needed to be tube feed, but I didn't have the supplies at the time.

Pekin were not breed to have long lives. They were meant to grow quickly and be killed for food within a year. The best thing you can do is make the ground as soft as possible to prevent further injuries for them. I would also add extra niacin into their diet to make sure they get enough. And lastly, keep track of their weight and make sure they don't eat too much. A lot of pekin owners do not give them free access to food because they will overeat.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I was thinking this could be issues they have from not enough vitamins or niacin when they were developing
I didn’t know all that I do now when I got my Pekin girls and I got very lucky I didn’t have issues
But since then have got so much info from this site
I hatched 5 Pekin / khaki babies from my adult ducks and from the start they were given niacin in the starter feed at 3 weeks switched slowly over to grower they are 8 weeks and still on nutritional yeast added to feed as well as Vitamin B complex added to their treats once a day
I have been sprinkling nutritional yeast to my adults feed not as much as the babies get
I also give vitamin B once a week to my adults
My babies have grown strong and healthy and have had zero issues
I believe these extra steps have helped them a lot
My Pekin hen is On the smaller side of Pekin that maybe why I got lucky with her
Her sons are already bigger then her and still growing
I hope you are able to get them fixed up
Maybe try the vitamin B complex and nutrition yeast

 

[RJKnott]

My male pekin I got from TSC, Nibbler, had almost the same thing happened to him with his legs. He passed away a couple months ago. Broke my heart. He was so sweet.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

My male pekin I got from TSC, Nibbler, had almost the same thing happened to him with his legs. He passed away a couple months ago. Broke my heart. He was so sweet.

So sorry about your loss

 

[Here come the ducks]

i am so sorry for all your heartache... all of you, here with the losses from your ducks.. i too went /am going through leg/walking issues with my sweet pekins.. yes it is heartbreaking and can make you feel like you are the problem.. but you're not. They are bred to be killed early on in life.. very sad. All of these ducks are so lucky to have homes with all of you who cared for these sweet babies.