Young duck isn’t grooming?

[Miss Lydia]

What about the tub works here and easy to clean after. Good for you getting the B complex try giving it over a snack so he gets full dose.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Ok, my duckling had the shakey leg too. It was like her whole leg would vibrate starting with the knee/elbow and then she would kinda sit back on her elbows and then stand back up in a few seconds and start walking around again. I did a few things which helped and it probably took a total of 2-3 weeks, but it did ultimately stop entirely. First I upped the vitamin B. I fed Flock Raiser to begin with sprinkled with brewers' yeast, but I still had one duckling with the shakey leg, so I bought liquid B complex and gave a full dropper full to the beak twice a day. I continued until the bottle was gone, a few weeks.

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Also I gave her swim time every day once a day. She seemed to not have any problems in the pool so I think this helped her strengthen her leg. Swimming is easier than walking as they don't need to support so much weight. You mentioned they can't all swim at once, but perhaps you can take your duckling plus one buddy and give them some swim time in warm water indoors. It only has to be a few inches deep. Just enough that they can paddle around and really get clean. I used a kitty litter pan so when the water got gross I could dump it outdoors. This should help with the grooming issue as well.

The third thing was the ducklings got more space. They had really outgrown their brooder and they got more an more time outdoors. This allowed more space and more time for walking around and strengthening those muscles.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

How in the world did you get the duck to take the eye dropper full? I have an adult runner with the shaky leg thing but I ended up getting more on me than in her mouth when I did the eye dropper! Now I'm putting a very small amount of food out every day with the b-complex on it that they all can eat before I put out the big food bucket.

 

[SoilShepherdFarm]

Ok I got a dropper-full in the bill but made a mess and scared my duck pretty bad. Can I put the B vitamin liquid in their water? If so, how much per gallon? Would it hurt my chickens and turkeys if they drank it too? Funny story, I put the liquid in his bill, then fed them, then he went to the water and drank for a long time and then started cleaning his wings. Total coincidence I’m sure, LOL! I will try a bath tomorrow and see how it goes. Thank you all! I love my birds so much.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Water will make it weaker do you give you ducks treats of any kind ? You could try putting it over a treat some use thawed peas or mealworms maybe shredded lettuce if they will gobble it up. The b complex will not hurt the rest of your birds what their body doesn’t need they will pee out.

 

[PattyNH]

POOPING—so much poop

SO true!! My dad couldn't resist the ducklings st TSC so we now have 2 Pekins. I only have chickens and ND goats. I was NOT prepared for duck's messiness!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Their cuteness kinda makes up for all the messiness! Lol

 

[DuckyDonna]

SO true!! My dad couldn't resist the ducklings st TSC so we now have 2 Pekins. I only have chickens and ND goats. I was NOT prepared for duck's messiness!!

It's good for the garden!

 

[SoilShepherdFarm]

SO true!! My dad couldn't resist the ducklings st TSC so we now have 2 Pekins. I only have chickens and ND goats. I was NOT prepared for duck's messiness!!

Are your pekins as big as mine? I had blue swedish ducks when I lived out west (got them as adults) my pekin (who is 5-6 weeks old) is almost twice the size of my blue swedish ducks . I’m wondering if he’s a jumbo pekin. He is humongous!!

 

[PattyNH]

Are your pekins as big as mine? I had blue swedish ducks when I lived out west (got them as adults) my pekin (who is 5-6 weeks old) is almost twice the size of my blue swedish ducks . I’m wondering if he’s a jumbo pekin. He is humongous!!

I don't know how big Pekins usually get - I haven't looked it up. Mine are about 16 weeks old. I also don't have other ducks to compare them to. But they are bigger than my BR cockrels of the same age...

 

[Jpat]

Water will make it weaker do you give you ducks treats of any kind ? You could try putting it over a treat some use thawed peas or mealworms maybe shredded lettuce if they will gobble it up. The b complex will not hurt the rest of your birds what their body doesn’t need they will pee out.

do they lift their legs too pee?