Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

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ellenieag
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Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by ellenieag »

I have 2 ducklings who are having problems with their legs. They are beginning to fledge their pin feathers and eating and interacting well with the rest of the brood but each have a foot that does not hold their weight. Instead, they seem to walk on their leg and the bones seem to be flattening out from the efforts. They are not able to move forward in a rapid motion but do make their way in a stumbling manner to the feed dish and water bowl.
Does anyone have any suggestions to help me help them? Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thanks
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GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily
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Re: Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily »

There is Simon the Duck, but have you tried bracing the legs with some sort of wrap? Wonder what it was caused it? Calcium deficiency? There are birders here who will be by shortly, but ask a avian doc about calcium supplements.
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critters
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Re: Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by critters »

Hi! You would do well to check out the other posts on this bb; Sebastian, also a Peking, has wheels, and Christy posted some great ideas on straightening out baby birds' legs. I don't know if your babies need straightening, but you might get useful info. Victoria CIC also has experience with birds and will probably be by at some point (no idea when).

Good luck with these babies!!
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GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily
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Re: Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by GabrielDeafBlindPupFamily »

Sebastian! That's what I meant ! :)
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Zorro
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Re: Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by Zorro »

Hi! Please explain more about their feet not supporting their weight. What are the feet actually doing? I'm not sure what you mean by "bones seem to be flattening out". Please explain more clearly so I can help you. Thanks!
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Re: Leg problems in Pekin Ducklings

Post by VictoriaCIC »

I'm with Zorro, if its possible to post a few more details, hopefully we can help. How are the bottoms of their feet? Webbing look okay? Any issues there? I hope we can help you figure it out to help these little ones.

Victoria
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Toni
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We want to help your Pekin ducklings.

Post by Toni »

In agreement with all the other postings...more information is needed. What type of feed are they getting and have they been eating? (was it chick starter or some other poultry starter...which kind and brand or corn, etc. ) Is (or was)the feed medicated?(some of the medicated feeds are awful on the cartilagenous structures of waterfowl). Do the ducks have acess to water for swimming? What type of bedding? Is it good and dry? Are they on wire cage bottom? What do the bottoms of their feet look like? Are their "hocks" swollen?
I have helped several people rehabilitate ducks with "bum" legs from various causes). The answer to the above questions, and depending on the answers, more questions, are vital to giving you and your ducks the proper help.
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ellenieag
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Re: We want to help your Pekin ducklings.

Post by ellenieag »

Enlighten me, what are hocks. Some things I just don't know. Their feet are good looking but not very strong. They have been living in an outside pen with their nestmates but I had to bring them in because of the leftovers of the tropical storm "Ernesto"/"Enrique" or whatever its name was. I almost lost one to loss of body heat. Came back quickly though. Right now they are in the house in a box or in the bathtub with a mat in it.
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Toni
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Re: We want to help your Pekin ducklings.

Post by Toni »

The "hocks" would be the joint just above the foot on the leg. Sometimes they can get an infection inside this joint, just from a minor cut or scrape somewhere else on the leg or foot that you might not even notice. (I doubt this would be the case, as yuo have two ducks with the same problem...but anything is possible) They can also have injury to the joint from catching their foot somehow and wrenching the joint. They can also have weakness of development due to the type of feed they eat. Do you know if the feed they have had, or are getting now, is medicated? Do you know the protein content? Is it a starter ration? (vitamin & mineral content is a little higher in these for growing birds)

If you can supply some type of water deep enough so the ducks can swim and take the weight off their legs, asssuming there are no open wounds on these fellows, they can keep up their leg muscle strength and supply themselves with much needed excercise and coordination development

Perhaps you could try filling the tub with a few inches of lukewarm water and let them swim for a little while. Supervise this as they will tire and I wouldn't want them to drown.

Good luck, let us know how things are going. Hope you can dry our from Ernesto. Glad you were able to warm the little guy up...they can be amazingly resilient compared to other baby birds!
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ellenieag
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by ellenieag »

Thanks for the definition.

I have been giving them "hydrotherapy" twice a day in the tub. We have well water so there is no chlorine in it. The ducklings food is "Duck-Gro-R" from the farmer's co-op and I am assuming that it has the appropriate mixture of vitamin and mineral content. I have been adding ground up brown eggshells from our own chickens to add extra calcium for bone growth. I was advised not to let them eat white eggshells since ducks lay white eggs.

When they are swimming they use both legs and even though each of them has a leg that reaches to the opposite side as if they were folding their "arms". They seem to be getting stronger leg control while swimming. When out of the water they still seem to have no strength in their hocks to stand upright on their feet. Their body weight seems to be held on their leg bones between the hock and knee. This bone seems a bit twisted and the leg is not round like and adults legs are. Any suggestions?

Thanks for any suggestions you have.
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Toni
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by Toni »

How have the ducklings been doing?
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ellenieag
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by ellenieag »

The two of them are still having problems ambulating on the ground. They do much better in the water but 1 tends to swim in a clockwise motion while the other swims in a counter clockwise fashion.
Been trying to catch up on people bills and as soon as I do they are going to a vet that works on ducks. Maybe there is something that the vet can do.
Otherwise they are growing well. They are a little smaller than the rest of the clutch and the bigger ones are not too kind to their "damaged" siblings.
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critters
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by critters »

I bet those babies will do fine in a tame environment! It's a shame the bigger sibs won't be nice. :evil:
ellenieag
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by ellenieag »

Now all I have to do is find the best living environment for them. One in which they can stumble around and still be happy in. I am thinking of setting something up in the house for them but I am trying to come up with something that won't be too much of a mess to clean up daily. Any suggestions?
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critters
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Re: Reply about my Pekin ducklings.

Post by critters »

We had ducks in the house, but you're right--they don't have dry poop like chickens do. Splish and Splash eventually became pretty well house-trained, though.
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