Help, new duck mom with 2 sick ducks

[KristiLJ4]

Hello, I am a new duck mom, they are only 2 months old. Justice is acting like she drunk, she wobbles excessively and she bobs her head back-and-forth. She’s been losing your balance standing and while she tries to groom her self. She’s been eating and drinking just fine. This has been going on for about four days. I did reach out to a veterinarian online who said she could be vitamin deficient, so they suggested to do a medicated crumble, which we have done starting yesterday, and a poultry drench.

My other duck freedom, She sounds like she’s coughing. She’s also drinking and eating just fine all three of my ducks do you look like they may have diarrhea colors are yellow and brown. Any help would be amazing. I have no idea what I’m doing and I really hope that they are as healthy as they possibly can be. We have a large pen for them in the backyard, as well as a kennel and a duck coop that they stay in at night. We change their bedding inside their coop every week. Their ponds are changed every week with freshwater. They get freshwater every single day. There’s no stagnant water around nothing poisonous that I know that they could get into. I’m just not sure what else to do or what to look for, there also is no bird veterinarians close to us so I don’t know if I could take a sample of their fecal somewhere to look at under microscope for any parasites or what to do at this point.

 

[nuthatched]

That vet doesn't know anything about ducks.
Medicated feed has a coccistat that blocks vitamin B to keep Coccidosis from overwhelming a bird.
If the bird is suffering from vitamin deficiency, blocking vitamins isn't going to help.
Giving vitamin mix with the medicated feed will cancel each other out.
She does have a vitamin deficiency, she needs niacin. (B3)
What is her diet?
Add about a tablespoon of brewers yeast to her duck food to give her the needed daily nutrients. :]

 

[Jenbirdee]

Nutritional yeast is even better, but i think some prefer the brewers yeast.. nutritional yeast may be easier to get. 1.5 tbsp added to every cup of their food. what food were you giving them before you switched ? definitly stop the medicated, like nuthatched said. ducks gotta have their b vitamins! to get a boost of niacin right away, you can get liquid b complex they have it at tractor supply it says injectable but we give it orally . you can even crush up human b complex and sprinkle it on the food. but not the timed release kind ducks digest stuff so fast it goes right through.

 

[Jenbirdee]

If you haven’t visited the ducks forum yet the first two sticky topics are all about this. I have trouble posting links from my phone so here’s a screenshot.

 

[KristiLJ4]

That vet doesn't know anything about ducks.
Medicated feed has a coccistat that blocks vitamin B to keep Coccidosis from overwhelming a bird.
If the bird is suffering from vitamin deficiency, blocking vitamins isn't going to help.
Giving vitamin mix with the medicated feed will cancel each other out.
She does have a vitamin deficiency, she needs niacin. (B3)
What is her diet?
Add about a tablespoon of brewers yeast to her duck food to give her the needed daily nutrients. :]

We give them the chic starter feed and give them fruits and vegetables and also let them forage in the backyard a few times a day. Since I read it might be a Niacin deficiency i got niacin tablets 250 mg that i split into 4. I have been crushing it and giving it to all of them in their peas, for the last 2 days. She seems to be getting worse, she isn't lethargic, she doesn't appear to be bowlegged, but bobs her head back and forth constantly and waddles like she has a broken leg/hip but doesn't. Her symptoms don't match...

 

[KristiLJ4]

Nutritional yeast is even better, but i think some prefer the brewers yeast.. nutritional yeast may be easier to get. 1.5 tbsp added to every cup of their food. what food were you giving them before you switched ? definitly stop the medicated, like nuthatched said. ducks gotta have their b vitamins! to get a boost of niacin right away, you can get liquid b complex they have it at tractor supply it says injectable but we give it orally . you can even crush up human b complex and sprinkle it on the food. but not the timed release kind ducks digest stuff so fast it goes right through.

Okay, I will go and get some liquid Vit B as soon as I am off work today. I thought the poultry drench would have enough in there that i wouldn't have to get more since i also got niacin pills already and have been giving it to them daily for the last 2 days.

 

[Jenbirdee]

We give them the chic starter feed and give them fruits and vegetables and also let them forage in the backyard a few times a day. Since I read it might be a Niacin deficiency i got niacin tablets 250 mg that i split into 4. I have been crushing it and giving it to all of them in their peas, for the last 2 days. She seems to be getting worse, she isn't lethargic, she doesn't appear to be bowlegged, but bobs her head back and forth constantly and waddles like she has a broken leg/hip but doesn't. Her symptoms don't match...

@Miss Lydia @New duck mommy 2021

 

[Jenbirdee]

@Miss Lydia @New duck mommy 2021

Can you post a video of them?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I would def get the liquid b complex TSC should have it it will say injectable but we use it orally. When one already has problems the liquid b complex is the best to use. Just make sure you use it over peas or some other treat so you know they are getting full dose.
here is info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[KristiLJ4]

Can you post a video of them?

I tried to post the videos i took, but its not letting me.. Let me try again