Ducklings w/ weak legs - improved w/Pic

[L0rraine]

Thanks Amiga and CoopCrazy for your helpful thoughts. Seems fresh air, sunshine, lots of fresh water some greens has done them a world of good. They are moving just fine and no more toppling over (as you can sort of see from this picture).

Well, just when you think you know what you are supposed to do, something isn't working. Yesterday, when I put my two Runner ducklings out for exercise, one of them was trembly and kept falling over. And it appears the other duckling is having milder symptoms. I've been feeding them chick starter, since that's all I have access to here (which I've used for my last two duckling batches). The weather has been REALLY lousy here in the Northwest, wet with very cool days (but we still aren't like other areas of the country). Anyway, I've not been able to get them outside into natural light nearly as much as I would like.

I've been supplementing their chick feed with Brewer's yeast - but could I have been using too much? I worry about not enough natural light, bad balance of nutrients and, the kicker, there was a strange white mold/mildew growing in their outdoor grassy run (at first I thought it was white undercoat from my collie). I cleaned it up as best as possible and then set their pool on top of where I found it. Anyway, as of yesterday they aren't going in the outdoor run (I've built another smaller enclosure that I can move around the yard in the sunshine today). They seem to still be interested in eating, drinking and preening, but they are definitely weak and shaky.

Any thoughts anyone? I'll update later today on whether things have improved or 'heaven forbid' worsened.

 

[CoopCrazy]

sorry i wish i could help ..

 

[Amiga]

Mold is a bit scary with ducklings. Vitamins are a good idea. What else are you feeding them as supplements? salad? peas? Is there an area indoors you can set up so they can stretch their legs?

Plenty of water may help flush toxins, if that is the case.

Are they getting grit?

 

[CoopCrazy]

Just had a thought also, I would give them some plain yogurt....

 

[L0rraine]

Well yesterday they seemed to be doing quite a bit better. I had them out in the sunshine! two days in a row. I won't let them back in the outdoor exercise pen that had the strange white, hairy mold, until we've had lots of dry weather (but it's 8x8, grassy, with a few low shrubs and safe from predators so it had been a great day-time spot for them when it wasn't pouring rain, which it's been doing a lot of here). I've made sure they are getting only their own starter feed with a bit of brewer's yeast, and not snacking on the adult ducks' food or chickens' food. Their night time and wet weather housing is an indoor dog run with no windows (so no natural light). Their space is 4 x 8 with a heat lamp at one end, so there has been some room for exercise, but even with indoor light bulbs, on it's not the same as daylight and fresh air.

When outside they chase bugs and eat clover and grass so get some natural supplement, but maybe I need to supplement with some of our greens as well.

Yesterday, my husband and I 'guarded' them while they 'free-ranged' in the big yard and used their little wading pool and we'll try to do more of that today. I think it did them a world of good - but we have tooo many birds of prey here to allow them to roam on their own, so I've built a small 'tractor' like enclosure that we can move them around when we can't be watching all the time.

 

[Amiga]

Sounds like things are really looking up!

 

[QuanYin4]

My 3 week old Indian Runner ducklings have gotten plenty of fresh air & exercise (we're in Northern California), but one of them has the shaky legs you were talking about. We're feeding them moistened grower crumble, hardboiled eggs & a little lettuce so I think they have more than enough protein, but I'm going to try the brewer's yeast, too. I'll let you know if she improves with the brewer's yeast. Just wanted to say that the shaky legs can happen even WITH sunshine & exercise. Good luck to you!

 

[L0rraine]

Thanks for sharing that. They do grow so tall so fast, it must be a little bit stressful, so I guess that all we can do to help the along the way is for the good. Hope your's improves fairly quickly.

 

[FenDruadin]

I don't mean to harp on this, but now that it's happened to me, I feel like I should mention it: Could be a bad batch of feed. Trembly legs, general weakness--both were symptoms in my ducklings of a problem with their feed. I bought a new bag of feed, threw out the old, and within a day they were fine.

Fresh air, exercise, and lots of good insects to eat will do anyone good. Unless you're squeamish about that sort of thing, that is.

Hope the improvement continues!

 

[Amiga]

So happy to hear of the improvement!

Hallelujah!