whats wrong with one of my ducks?

[jinnjinn123]

ok I have 19 5 day old baby ducks and for 3 days now one of them cant look up it keeps its head looking down. its really wierd and I have been watching it and it eats and drinks great. but when I pick it up and put him down it will put its head under him and turn flips it spins and it walks backwards. then it will straighten up still with his head down and and go about his busisness he is the only oddball. will he live like that or should I help him get out of his misery? whats wrong with him it dosent appear his neck is broke or he would not be able to do what he does.

 

[shicks0211]

sounds like maybe something happened in the egg. maybe a neurological problem if it walks backward. I'd watch it for a couple days and see if it improves, My ducks free range when they're old enough so a duck like that wouldn't probably survive with out constant supervision. I think as the duckling ages the other ducks may pick on it.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Niacin can also help with neurological problems if this is what is going on with your duckling,get 100-150 mgs of plain niacin and add to their water or brewers yeast sprinkled on their feed daily. also get some poultry vitamins and add them to their water. it could be a nutrient diff. Don't give up, give the lil one a chance. But you need to treat ASAP.19 ducks this lil one could have been injured too, maybe give it some time in it's own space with 1 buddy and see if it begins to improve using the niacin and vitamins, Be sure it eats and drinks too.

 

[Going Quackers]

Niacin can also help with neurological problems if this is what is going on with your duckling,get 100-150 mgs of plain niacin and add to their water or brewers yeast sprinkled on their feed daily. also get some poultry vitamins and add them to their water. it could be a nutrient diff. Don't give up, give the lil one a chance. But you need to treat ASAP.19 ducks this lil one could have been injured too, maybe give it some time in it's own space with 1 buddy and see if it begins to improve using the niacin and vitamins, Be sure it eats and drinks too.

My thought too, what are you feeding op?

 

[jinnjinn123]

it seems fine when you dont pick it up to move it from ome place to another but it is never looking straight or up it always looks down only with his head not his neck. he eats and drinks fine nothing wrong with his appitite

 

[jinnjinn123]

I am feeding them medicated chick starter.

 

[DeannaMari]

You need to stop feeding them medicated chick started. If all that you have available is chick starter, you need the unmedicated stuff. I'd take it off of them right away. They eat much more than baby chicks do, so they end up ODing on the medicine. That may be the problem.

 

[Amiga]

Certainly chick starter doesn't have as much niacin as duck starter, but the latter is difficult to find. There is some range of opinion on whether chick starter medicated with amprolium is harmful or not to ducklings, but in any case, it does sound neurological, and since niacin helps the nervous system develop, and Holderread mentions ducklings needing three times the niacin chicks do, and I have read of no harm in giving ducklings extra niacin, I think it would be good to give it a try.