Our duckling can’t roll off her back

[mojavesdream]

We have an almost 4 week old duckling that for the last two weeks can’t stand up and rolls to her back. She can stand in like one second periods and does try to walk but it’s like she’s really really drunk or on a ship and then falls over and we are here again. If she is leaning next to something she locks her legs and stands better but tends to want to do a full upright straight back stand which causes her to fall again. In the bath with water she easily keeps herself upright but tends to list to a side and still isn’t fully upright. She eats and drinks and now is much smaller than the others I believe for last of access to food and water. I’ve started to take her to work just so she can be upright with help and regularly eat and drink and she seems very alert and aware and wants to do all the little duck things but this isn’t a sustainable solution and requires a lot of attention. I give her water flowl support vitamins and electrolytes, brewers yeast and vit E. We have been setting her in a basket and dog carrier to help her stay upright but not seeing any improvement. Any ideas would be so appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Mill Chick]

I have not had ducks in the past but looking at you videos it looks like one of your ducklings legs are hurt? I could especially see it when she was in the water when the duckling was paddling fiercely with one leg and not the other!

 

[ruthhope]

I suspect that your duckling has a neurological problem. You might try vitamin B particularly Vit B3, niacin, therapy, in addition to the supplements you have in the feed. Can you get Durvet high level Vitamin B compound from your feed store or Amazon? We give it orally, 1ml every day until at least a week after the symptoms resolve.

If the symptoms do not resolve you will need supportive measures that are not too demanding on your life. I have a ducky wheelchair. It is too heavy for a duck to move it although it is possible to put a broom handle in the back of the frame and push it along. It is useful for sitting a mobility impaired duck with it's legs down not getting pressure sores under its body, and with its poop shot out the back [mostly] so the duck is not sitting in it. Pots of water and food are stood infront of the chair. I had a special needs duck in this chair for 6 months. He still thought he was king of the flock and summoned the others to him when he was seated infront of the screening on my screen porch and the other ducks were free ranging in the back garden. He also had a "princess seat" from Amazon. It was inflatable and had

pockets in the front wall for his water and his feed. He was a happy soul in his princess seat (really a baby bath to put inside a real bath) but he was sitting in his poop and so had to be taken out and cleaned up frequently.

 

[mojavesdream]

Thank you this is really helpful!!!!

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you this is really helpful!!!!

I'm making a new lighter weight ducky wheelchair in the hopes that a jumbo pekin duckling that I rescued will use it and move in it.

You might also try cutting leg holes in a fabric tote and carrying your duckling round in that. I cannot get the jumbo pekin to put it's legs through the holes--its not cooperative like the adult pekin in my photos!! So I didn't try and cut out head and tail holes to fit. It was quite content to be carried round sitting in the tote!!

 

[ruthhope]

I should mention, @mojavesdream, that a mobility impaired duck needs to be separated by a temporary panel or screen from other ducks, as other ducks will attack it. Mine went into the garden twice a day for water therapy in a large tub. He could move his legs enough to swim up and down. I could not leave him unattended for even a moment as the other ducks -- the very ones that came at his call to the screen porch and always hung around with him when not out foraging--would try and bite him.

In the photos, there is a plastic tote round the back of his princess chair. It was also used round the back of his wheelchair as I have dogs. Sick and disabled ducks are very vulnerable to attack. Animals seem to have an instinct to kill disabled beings.

 

[mojavesdream]

She’s currently in a dog carrier with me living inside and the others are outside now. I also have chickens and geese along with other older ducks so I unfortunately know from experience the “pecking order” for birds. My hope is she just lives through this and seems to recover somewhat as she’s got no real control to even just be left sitting in front it food or water, and needs to be constantly propped up and supported or she flops on her back. I really like your carrier set up and would at least allow me to let her be for a little bit of time without supervision lol thank you!