Crippled Legs on New Pekin Ducks

[Friend2Fowl]

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Didn't even read this one first, once you start giving them the niacin their legs will get better. Congrats on your (new) free ducklings! Hope you have room!

Hatcheries really should tell people that order waterfowl to either get a waterfowl starter feed or add niacin to their diets, this would cause a lot less worry with new duck moms and dads!

 

[rainplace]

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Are they recovering? I'm hoping it was just a niacin deficiency.

 

[EbonyGA]

My duck dilemma is as follows. I received my replacement Pekin ducks today, so starting all over keeping them inside. Out of the 3 with the bad legs, one of the three was walking a little better, so I put him/her outside with his mallard/roan ducklings and I have one adult drake. Chubby, my adult drake, was outnumbered, so initially he didn't pay any attention to them, but now he struts around and the other 4 follow with my little Pekin always bringing up the rear. I had two more inside that are over a month old, so they can go outside. I tried one out the two and as he/she was hobbling around, Chubby either saw the weakness and started pecking at the bad of its neck. I checked them about an half hour later, and now my little hobbled one had red welts on the back of its neck, so I brought him back inside. Anyone have any suggestions to get my two crippled ducks integrated into the duck pack without get hurt by my adult male duck. I do have a 6 ft wooden privacy fence, 20' x 30' that the ducks are in along with a 5' x 10' dog kennel inside the fence.

 

[rainplace]

I wouldn't put the hobbling ducks in with them at all just yet. Even if there isn't any bullying, they will want to follow the others around which may exacerbate the problem. I'm not sure what the problem is with your ducks, but when I had a limping duck last summer it took her about 7 weeks to fully recover. Once we got our pond up she hung out in it all day and that seems to have healed her right up. At first she couldn't use the bad leg to paddle at all, but quickly she got more movement. I've seen many others around here talk about swim therapy for injured legs.

I would put them inside the dog kennel separate from the rest with a kiddie pool that you've made short steps inside and outside of the pool for them to easily get in and out of. It can't hurt for them to get the weight off their bad legs, and it may help a great deal.

Good luck, keep us posted!

 

[Eggs4Sale]

I have three ducklings, 1 week old, and one has suddenly become weak in one leg. I let it play in the tub, which helped a little, then put PolyViSol in it's water. An hour later, it has improved enough to be able to walk forward again, though shakily. I'm STUNNED at how rapidly it improved. I'm glad I checked here! Thanks, BYC people!

 

[blessedwife]

We are having this same issue with our 4-week old Pekin. We are running to the drug store right now. Clearly the Polyvisol goes directly into the ducks mouth. I didn't understand the instructions on the Vitamin E though. Does that go in his mouth too? I'm not sure what "squeezing it down the bill" means exactly. Will the niacin in the water affect the chickens that are brooding with the duck? Is there another way to accomplish getting the niacin into the duck right away? We are a little freaked. A 14-year-old girl's heart is in the mix of us learning about ducks and chicken!

Thanks for any further instruction!

Wendy

 

[gofasterstripe]

Darn...Lots of people having diffeculty with ducks legs. My ducklings are given water with Niacin in it from the get go of going into the brooder. I bought the 500mg capsules and give 100mg to 1 gal of water. I keep a water jug down by the brooder and that is the only water they get. I also put Pedialite in the same water from day 1. I dont measure it out, just pour some into the water bowl and ill with the pre mixed Niacin/water. They get fed that water untill they are about 8 weeks old then I put it in their water every Friday so I can keep track of them and it keeps me on track to. With the outside ducks I dont use the Pedialite I use little $1 packets from TSC called Chick Saver and I also put that in their water on a Friday along with the Niacin. Peas. I also give mine alot of Peas, i go thru a big bag a day with my ducks, Peas have Niacin in them and I feed it to my ducklings as pea soup (mashed peas & water) from day old and when they are about a week or so old when they get their daily bath the peas go into the bath with them.
Good Luck with all your ducks, I hope y'all get it fixed in time.

 

[ducksinarow]

I did not know that peas were a good source of niacin. My duckies are pea hounds. That is great news. Mine don't have leg problems peas could be why.

 

[BamaJ80]

What kind of peas exactly?

 

[Miss Lydia]

What kind of peas exactly?

Lil English peas[green] they are round and can be found in the frozen veggie section at the grocery, just bring them home and thaw some in warm water or toss some frozen into their swimming pool if older ducks. if young ducklings then smashing them a bit will help them to be able to eat them.