Duckling spent the night upside down

[Ekalaka]

About a week ago I put my 4-week-old batch of ducklings in the coop with my dozen year-old Anconas. Everything was going well. Yesterday morning I opened the coop and they all came boiling out together like normal, but I heard cheeping from inside the coop. I opened the door and saw a duckling with his leg in the air and backwards, and about had a heart attack because clearly my duckie had a broken leg — until I saw that the other leg was also in the air and backwards. After I processed this for a sec, I realized he was upside down.

I picked him up (he’d dug a hole in the bedding trying to right himself ) and took him outside. He could walk, but was unstable, weak, and fell over a lot. Understandable. I’d be in worse shape if I spent the night upside down.

By bedtime he was the same, and I was worried about the big ducks bowling him over (again), so I scooped him up and brought him in to join two siblings already in the hospital brooder (seriously nothing but problems with this batch).

While I was walking to the house with him he was trying to make noise but couldn’t because he was hoarse from crying all night on his back

This morning (24hrs after I found him and after some aquatherapy in the tub), he is much the same. Still unstable, prefers not to walk, falls over easily. A cursory search of the internet doesn’t show much for upsidedown ducklings. Anybody have a similar experience? Will he get better?

 

[Eggcessive]

Chickens can also get into such predicaments. I would make sure that it gets enough to eat and drink, and has water to keep her face clean (but not drown.) Give it some time, and perhaps she will get stronger and able to move around again. I will tag @Miss Lydia for any duck expertise.

 

[Trisseh]

Sometimes in ruminants, if they exert themselves more than they’re accustomed to as babies, they deplete their vitamin/mineral/electrolyte stores and need some help restoring them. Nutri-drench and electrolytes certainly wouldn’t hurt and may help in this case. Other concerns would be head trauma if it was flailing... beyond supportive care and ensuring good footing and an appropriate area for it to recover in with no one stepping on it or otherwise not helping, I don’t think there’s anything else I would do. As the situation progresses, the plan of action may have to change.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d say the poor little one was traumatized maybe he got knocked over during a scuffle or he just fell backwards from being unsteady to begin with. I agree supportive care is important now and keeping him in hospital till he is good an steady on his legs. Being we don’t know how he got on his back please read this and determine if getting the liquid B Complex might be worth trying it is so important for leg health strong muscles. Here is a link to information on how we use it. I hope your little one starts showing improvement soon. https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[Three Little Bunnies]

Would it be possible to fix the wobbliness with a chick chair or something similar?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I’d go more for water therapy so he can use his legs to build up strength. You can try a chick chair but unless he can use his legs I don’t think he’s going to get his legs strengthened which he needs to do to be able to walk normal. Having him in warm water it doesn’t have to be deep but just so he can swim around is so good for them. Of course always supervise. Maybe having another duckling in with him too they do so much better is they have a buddy for company.

 

[Ekalaka]

Thank you for your replies! Everybody had been getting niacin but I’d forgotten about vitamins (even though I looked straight at them that morning).

As an update to close this out:
I kept him “hospitalized” in the house with a buddy for a few days, had aquatherapy in the tub once or twice a day, and sent him back outside. He was still a bit wobbly for a day or two, but it’s been about 3 weeks and I have no idea which one he is anymore. Success!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you so much for up dating that awesome news!

 

[Ekalaka]

Side note in case anyone else happens across this later: probably the biggest reason I kept him in the house for as long as I did was to make sure he had enough wing to stay upright despite having the wibblewobbles.