Niacin Deficiency in Baby Geese

[mojavesdream]

Hey everyone, I ordered two baby geese, and they arrived today (less than 48 hours delivery) and one of them has bowed legs and curved feet-there was a great post on the duck forum about niacin deficiency that pictured the same foot curving. I called the hatchery before I found that and they had also advised to treat for Niacin deficiency.

I do have brewers yeast I got for my ducks and chickens but it doesn’t say how much niacin or B-3 vitamins it has in it. I only got it as a preventative measure for my other birds, but so happy to have on hand, but couldn’t find the actual info on what it supplies online so now I’m really worried I need to find better stuff tomorrow, can anyone help find the details or recommend what best to get for geese?

Also, with proper treatment does anyone know how long it may be to see improvement? I sprinkled the yeast over there food and grit and also have them on a broiler booster that I ordered with them that you add to water. It contains Vitamin A, D, E, B-12, electrolytes, and biotin.

It’s my first time ever ordering birds and I just want him to get better, when I gave them a bath I also noticed he almost sits vertical in the water which I think is credited to the bowed legs but I’m not sure

Here he is with the brewers yeast I have. Thank you so much for your help!!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I would recommend not letting them swim yet. They are a bit young and could become chilled. The legs could just be that they are young and still getting their strength.

@Miss Lydia can you advice about the yeast? I've never used it.

 

[AGeese]

If you're feeding them waterfowl starter they shouldn't need grit, but in few days you could try some "new grass" clippings that's the fine stuff that comes up in your yard. Once they start eating greens then you should have grit available, but shouldn't need to sprinkle it on their food.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Hey everyone, I ordered two baby geese, and they arrived today (less than 48 hours delivery) and one of them has bowed legs and curved feet-there was a great post on the duck forum about niacin deficiency that pictured the same foot curving. I called the hatchery before I found that and they had also advised to treat for Niacin deficiency.

I do have brewers yeast I got for my ducks and chickens but it doesn’t say how much niacin or B-3 vitamins it has in it. I only got it as a preventative measure for my other birds, but so happy to have on hand, but couldn’t find the actual info on what it supplies online so now I’m really worried I need to find better stuff tomorrow, can anyone help find the details or recommend what best to get for geese?

Also, with proper treatment does anyone know how long it may be to see improvement? I sprinkled the yeast over there food and grit and also have them on a broiler booster that I ordered with them that you add to water. It contains Vitamin A, D, E, B-12, electrolytes, and biotin.

It’s my first time ever ordering birds and I just want him to get better, when I gave them a bath I also noticed he almost sits vertical in the water which I think is credited to the bowed legs but I’m not sure

Here he is with the brewers yeast I have. Thank you so much for your help!!

I don't see niacin mentioned on the label. Since this little one already seems to have a niacin deficiency [it could also be a deformanity] I would go and get Liquid B Complex usually TSC has it Durvet is the brand name of the one they most likely will have it will say injectable but we just peel off the top stick a 1 ml syringe in and pull out what we need You need to give this in a way your sure it is getting full dose. Many of us put it over a small treat or over a small amount of feed so we know they are getting what they need. You can also put some into their water but water will dilute it. Also nutritional yeast is a good way for them getting their niacin so that can be put over their feed at 1 tab per cup of feed. But this little one really needs the liquid until the legs have improved and you can see the issue any longer there then a week after. here is info
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/nutritional-yeast-vs-brewers-yeast.1393856/
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/
Hopefully this is not a deformity and the liquid B Complex will get him over it. Adorable little ones too.
Make sure when putting them in water it is nice an warm get them out before it cools pat dry and right back under heat. and always supervise.
They do not need grit over their feed just put it in a container close to their feed they will use it as needed.Keep this in the frig after opening.

 

[mojavesdream]

Thank you so much! I kept the bath pretty warm and use a defuser on a blow dryer to dry them off, they smelled really bad on arrival so bath was helpful and they seemed to like being blown dry lol.

I believe the brewers yeast helped a lot but will be getting the liquid one today as a for sure started. His feet have straightened out a lot but still have a little curving to them. I can’t believe how much they seem to have grown in a couple days!

Here is their little set up for now (they are in a large dog kennel with a heat plate and the heater is on in the room to keep them comfortable), I’ve been holding them a lot too and they’ve started to come out when I show up lol got a good picture of his right foot compared to her’s now (he’s the lighter on the right) and so you can see much improvement. I also gave them a little sour dough starter-mixed down with water and had added the yeast to that just on the first day to try to give him the good things in all the available forms I had lol

 

[Miss Lydia]

What's in sour dough starter? That's great to hear your seeing improvements already.

 

[Miss Lydia]

This shows a chick but just in case you need to make a shoe to get the toes laying normally.https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/fixing-curled-toes-with-tape-picture-tutorial-and-video.75247/

 

[mojavesdream]

The sourdough starter has a lot of probiotics, I feed it to our chickens and ducks a few times a week to ensure gut health(I grown daily sunflowers sprouts and will just drizzle it over the top) they have loved it and I started doing it in the winter to help fight infections off thinking to try to treat the whole body for good health. The making of brewers yeast is very similar with the addition of sugar so I just added some brewers yeast and sugar to the mix and the starter reacted really good with it so I’m hoping it gave the birds good gut microbes and the added plus of the niacin vitamin from the brewers yeast. But I’m not a chemist so this is just what I felt like would be a good attempt to get them healthiest the fastest lol

And thank you @Miss Lydia we do have some medical tape! I will definitely try that if it looks like we aren’t improving anymore so hopefully by end of weekend I will have a better measure on how things are moving.

Really appreciate all the input! So happy to have joined this community!

 

[Miss Lydia]

We're happy to have you join too