Help! Weak duckling…

[fri2097]

Hi! I have Muscovy ducks.
One of my females had 9 ducklings some time ago, of those 9 only 6 remain now. Number 9 died some time ago and 8 disappeared.
They are currently 7 weeks old. Yesterday i found a dead one (number 7) by a garden area in the property i live. We dont really know what the cause of dead was since it didn't seem there was any trauma and it was a relatively medium/big duckling compared to the others. Well today on a morning walk i went to look for the ducklings and mom, just to make sure they were fine. To my surprise i found the mom in the garden area again next to a baby that was laying on the ground, same as the one i found dead yesterday, to my surprise once i got close this duckling was still alive.
Is very weak, and cant walk. It also could barely hold his head up when i grabbed it. After some time in my hands it started to be able to hold its head straight but it still cant walk and it doesn't make a sound. Also to note this is the smallest of the 6 that remain, the runt so to say.
I need help figuring out what can i do to help it out and hopefully it doesnt die.

 

[Miss Lydia]

What are you feeding them and are you offering and supplemental niacin for strong legs?

 

[fri2097]

At the moment the only thing i give them is corn, in the past i have given them a feed with different types of grains and pellets (the pellets contain vitamins and minerals, including niacin). Im looking into getting them more of that feed today. Where i live there isnt any available duck oriented food for purchase but there is for chickens so thats the one i get.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That maybe the problem they are niacin deficient . If you get chicken feed you'll need to add some niacin becasue chicken feed doesn't have enough for ducklings. I use feed for chickens starter when young layer when at laying age. I add Nutritional yeast to their feed for the extra niacin they need. If they are deficient in niacin they will become lame and it can kill them eventually. If you are in the US and have access to TSC they also carry Liquid B Complex which is excellent when a duckling already has a Niacin deficiency Start them on it asap.
Corn is starch and has hardly any nutritional value, especially for ducklings.

 

[Canadian Wind]

That duckling looks way underdeveloped for a 7 week old. I also suspect nutritional deficiencies.

 

[fri2097]

That maybe the problem they are niacin deficient . If you get chicken feed you'll need to add some niacin becasue chicken feed doesn't have enough for ducklings. I use feed for chickens starter when young layer when at laying age. I add Nutritional yeast to their feed for the extra niacin they need. If they are deficient in niacin they will become lame and it can kill them eventually. If you are in the US and have access to TSC they also carry Liquid B Complex which is excellent when a duckling already has a Niacin deficiency Start them on it asap.
Corn is starch and has hardly any nutritional value, especially for ducklings.

Thanks, i will see about getting some extra niacin in their diet. I reside in Mexico, nutritional yeast is too expensive here to be using them for the ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Plain niacin not the time released or flush free can be used if pills crush them and mix into their feed adding to water dilutes it too much.