Pekin Duck Club!

[CountryGirl1984]

How old is he and what is his feed?

 

[Amiga]

I feed them a pellet feed that I buy from farm n fleet. It says its for ducks...it's by purina.

I have lost track of what we were discussing

Where were we, now? sigh.

 

[countrygirl74]

I have a Peking and he can only walk a few steps without plopping on the ground. It seems like he doesn't have enough strength to hold his own weight. He constantly falls over when walking. What is wrong with him?

Amiga - I forgot too - had to go back a few pages but here was the original post. I am thinking maybe he needs extra niacin... she is feeding a feed specifically made for ducks but sure is acting like a niacin deficiency. What do you think??

 

[Amiga]

Amiga - I forgot too - had to go back a few pages but here was the original post. I am thinking maybe he needs extra niacin... she is feeding a feed specifically made for ducks but sure is acting like a niacin deficiency. What do you think??

Thanks for the rescue!

I think it could be niacin, it could be other nutrients. Some ducks are just more sensitive to nutrient levels than others. Also, some breeds can just get a bit heavy and that is a strain on the legs, so I would be sure the duck has lukewarm water deep enough to float in two or three times a day - hydrotherapy. The lukewarm water can help relax muscles and tendons, and improve circulation. Floating and moving the legs can strengthen the muscles and help the legs be more flexible. It takes the weight off the legs, too, lets them rest.

I trust someone has already checked for bumbles or other injury.

And Epsom salts compresses are always good for ducks and people. So I would try some E.s. compresses, too. Miss Lydia and others have shallow buckets - or large flat-bottomed bowls - to put the Epsom salt solution in, so the duck cannot get a taste of it. The E.s. is a powerful laxative, please remember that. You don't want the duck to get diarrhea and get dehydrated.

 

[Dunaways61811]

My ducklings at almost a month old or not friendly at all. Any suggests at all?

 

[lauranickerson]

I put an add on Craigslist to try and sell my excess male Pekins. The only email I've gotten so far is from someone that had two Pekins, and the male was killed by a fox. The female fended off the fox, but it's got a "boo boo" on it's wing and back of it's neck. She would like to give her to me for free along with a bag of food as long as I can give her a good home (which I can). Should I do it? I would love another female to get more eggs.

 

[lauranickerson]

And you can't beat free for a laying duck, right?

 

[shadygardener]

Mine too. We got these 2 Easter weekend, and we held them a good bit at first. But when we let them go with the chickens they became afraid of us. They run from me now. I guess I'll never touch them again.

 

[shadygardener]

I would take her if I were you. We seldom see an offer for a free female. We had a very hard time getting rid of our extra young roosters. Had to give a hen with the rooster to get people to buy the rooster. I was scared to death people would take the rooster and eat him, so I didn't offer them a free, in hopes that would deter people who were just looking for some free food. If you take the female duck, I think you should get some medicine for the boo boo and put it on her before you release her, since you might not be able to catch her again after that, unless she is accustomed to handling. The feed store usually has medicines for chickens and ducks.

 

[lauranickerson]

I would take her if I were you. We seldom see an offer for a free female. We had a very hard time getting rid of our extra young roosters. Had to give a hen with the rooster to get people to buy the rooster. I was scared to death people would take the rooster and eat him, so I didn't offer them a free, in hopes that would deter people who were just looking for some free food. If you take the female duck, I think you should get some medicine for the boo boo and put it on her before you release her, since you might not be able to catch her again after that, unless she is accustomed to handling. The feed store usually has medicines for chickens and ducks.

That's my thought, too. You never see females for free!

I know how you feel, because I don't want to list my extra males as free. I'm culling my extra roosters soon and freezing them, which kind of makes me sad since it's my first time, but at this point, I could never do that to a duck. They are just sooo much cuter. Haha.