duckling with splayed leg

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faithsducks

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i have a duck thats approx 2 weeks old that seems to have developed a poorly leg which i'm guessing is splayed? its been fine up to now so i'm thinking it must have had a slip. its on anti slip matting in a brooder and is being fed chick crumbs. i've seen the fixed topic on this but i've spent the last hour trying to put some sort of brace around its legs but its having none of it! the leg isn't completely sticking out but the duck is definately finding it awkward to walk. i dont want to cause the little thing any pain so i'm gonna try and see if i can get to a vets in the morning but in the meantime any thoughts would be appreciated

thanks
 
If you have found the sticky topic in Chickens Health about treating splayed leg, there's probably not much else that people can suggest, Faith - except to say, you will need to think carefully about how to take the duckling out of the brooder and keep it warm on the trip to the vet, as there will be an hour or so when the temperature will drop for him/her, relative to in the brooder. Do let us know how you get on.
 
Not sure what happened to my previous post but check the chick crumb isn't medicated. This will cause leg issues then death in ducklings. Many pet stores don't label chick crumbs as being medicated and don't know the dangers of giving them to ducklings. If they are medicated swap feed immediately. It may only affect one duckling from the brood. If the store doesn't know check with the manyfacturer. Get them all in something suitable for duckling immediately if they are not already.
Splay leg can be helped by making a hobble with soft wool. Make sure it is in the right place or the duckling won't be able to walk.
Good luck and keep us posted :)
 
just back from the vets £30 poorer and none the wiser :-)19 on the plus side vet didn't seem to think it was causing pain and she said the leg wasn't broken. not really sure what to do now. i've bought some vet wrap so i'm gonna have another go and see if i can brace the legs together.

have checked crumbs and they're non medicated
thanks, will keep you posted
 
few glad the crumbs are ok. My pet shop told me they were not medicated, but when I checked with the mill I found out they were. Chick crumbs sometimes dont have enough niacin for ducklings. So I would sprinkle brewers yeast (the powdered stuff in a box) on the crumbs and add crushed naicin (B3) tablets to all their drinking water. I use 1 100mg tablet crushed in 2 litres of water. This is a common problem in ducklings. good luck!
zo
x
 
If crumb is medicated and you're buying it by the sack, it should always be on the ingredients label. It should say that the feed is medicated or sometimes say 'contains coccicidiostats' or ACS as it is sometimes called...

Good luck

Tim
 
Yes as Tim says. Some feed stores decant into smaller bags and don't bother to reprint the ingredients. So always ask to see the orginal label x
 
a week on a the leg seems to have improved?! its hard to be sure as they are growing so quick they don't have a lot of room in the brooder so its hard to see them walk properly. i'm hoping to get them out for a few hours in the garden this week if (big if!) it warms up a bit. certainly doesn't appear to be in pain and is still making as much noise and mess as before!!!
 
Great news, the lack of sunlight at the moment will have an impact on their vitamin and mineral metabolism, so it is really important to get them on the brewers yeast, niacin and some calcivet wouldn't hurt at this stage too. Lots of ducks and geese from last years hatches have legs problems due to lack of sunlight. Bloody weather!!!
 
Sprinkle brewers yeast (the powdered stuff in a box) on the crumbs like you would sugar on ceral so not too much, they like the taste so that helps, and add crushed naicin (B3) tablets to all their drinking water. I use 1 100mg niacin tablet crushed in 2 litres of water. You can get both from health food shops. Leave the niacin tablet for half an hour in the water for it to absorb, there will be a chalky residue, this is just the carrier in the tablet. Make sure this is their only water source.
 
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