Peckin duck Leg Issue

[Nenanicole]

Hi everyone! I got 5 peckin ducklings from TSC (I know this is not recommended) and everything has been great! They are 6 weeks old and fully white now! One of my ducklings had issues with its leg being turned in from the time we got them. She has always struggled walking because she steps on her opposite foot. This makes it pretty much impossible to walk for her ): I have been giving them all brewers yeast daily and niacin supplements in their water. They eat pellets specifically for ducklings and gets treats (peas) daily or every other day. At first, I thought she was just a clumsy baby and would eventually figure out how to walk but now I am worried this is a forever issue. Has anyone had this or have any recommendations on what to do?!
-Nena

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hi Nena, sorry to hear about your Pekin I wish you could have come earlier we would have rec you start your duckling on liquid BComplex it’s not too late but she may never get the leg where it should be but I would at least try to help her get it strengthened. Pekins are such fast growers their legs have a hard time keeping up and they can develop a niacin deficiency super fast.Here is great info along with dose and what is available https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/ also pool time will help strengthen the legs . Your Pekin will need the full dose so don’t put it into water it dilutes it way too much over a tasty treat is the best way to give it. Please let us know how you Pekin is doing you may not see improvement for a few weeks because he has had this for sometime now so don’t give up and stop giving it

 

[Nenanicole]

Hi Nena, sorry to hear about your Pekin I wish you could have come earlier we would have rec you start your duckling on liquid BComplex it’s not too late but she may never get the leg where it should be but I would at least try to help her get it strengthened. Pekins are such fast growers their legs have a hard time keeping up and they can develop a niacin deficiency super fast.Here is great info along with dose and what is available https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/ also pool time will help strengthen the legs . Your Pekin will need the full dose so don’t put it into water it dilutes it way too much over a tasty treat is the best way to give it. Please let us know how you Pekin is doing you may not see improvement for a few weeks because he has had this for sometime now so don’t give up and stop giving it

Thank you so very much Miss Lydia!!! I will order now and update you in a few weeks!

 

[Nenanicole]

Update…. Woke up to Perry’s leg facing out…. I put her in the pool and now she’s swimming like this. UGH

 

[Miss Lydia]

Can you tell if there is an injury? have you been giving her the Liquid b Complex? If there isn't an injury you might hobble her to pull the leg into alignment and see if that helps. @CoriM is good at examples for this in older ducks.

 

[CoriM]

If at all possible I would have a vet look at her just to see what's going on - maybe it's out of joint or something. I can tell you how to hobble it but if there's a break or injury you don't want her walking on it. Had she been getting better over the course of the last two weeks with the vitamin B?

To hobble you need 1 inch vet wrap - it sticks to itself and not your duck. Put a little loop around each leg, then have someone hold her while you use a bigger loop to go around both legs and pull them into proper position. In the meantime you need to have her getting the vitamin and exercising mainly through swimming - don't make her overdue it on her legs. I had to support my duck after swimming while she was preening eventually. After several weeks of wearing the hobbles (which have to be replaced regularly) and having the liquid vitamin B complex, my duck got better, but she was a little younger than your duck.

I highly recommend having a vet just look at that leg and joint first if at all possible. But I'm attaching pictures of my duck with the hobbles and a video after she started getting better.

 

[Nenanicole]

Can you tell if there is an injury? have you been giving her the Liquid b Complex? If there isn't an injury you might hobble her to pull the leg into alignment and see if that helps. @CoriM is good at examples for this in older ducks.

I don’t think she is injured. Her leg doesn’t seem to bother her at all. She has been getting the liquid B complex as well.

 

[Nenanicole]

If at all possible I would have a vet look at her just to see what's going on - maybe it's out of joint or something. I can tell you how to hobble it but if there's a break or injury you don't want her walking on it. Had she been getting better over the course of the last two weeks with the vitamin B?

To hobble you need 1 inch vet wrap - it sticks to itself and not your duck. Put a little loop around each leg, then have someone hold her while you use a bigger loop to go around both legs and pull them into proper position. In the meantime you need to have her getting the vitamin and exercising mainly through swimming - don't make her overdue it on her legs. I had to support my duck after swimming while she was preening eventually. After several weeks of wearing the hobbles (which have to be replaced regularly) and having the liquid vitamin B complex, my duck got better, but she was a little younger than your duck.

I highly recommend having a vet just look at that leg and joint first if at all possible. But I'm attaching pictures of my duck with the hobbles and a video after she started getting better.

This is super helpful!! I will have ny husband help when he is home from work

 

[CoriM]

Okay, best of luck to you and your girl. I kept the hobbles on and vitamins going until she was fully strong, and then a little beyond with the vitamin. After that you can add brewers or nutritional yeast to their food to get added niacin. Let us know how it goes!