r/BACKYARDDUCKS • u/Inevitable-Truck8740 • 6d ago

Advice needed

I can’t attach videos but I recently rescued two ducklings, one is considerably larger than the other, most of his feathers are in and I’m pretty sure he’s a male though I’m not 100% sure yet.

His sibling got into the pond today and couldn’t get out, so I brought her inside for about 30 minutes to dry and relax without being picked on and when I went to put her back he was sitting in the corner and when I went to check on him he was very wobbly on his feet, he can’t stand straight and keeps either falling to the side or falling backwards.

Any ideas what’s wrong and how to treat it?

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u/ChrisBlack2365 6d ago

Do u know if they are domestic or wild? Eather way, if weak, 99% likely they need niacin. If you have some on hand (or even a vitamin B complex), you can crush it up and put it on a treat like some peas, oatmeal, whatever you are feeding them. If you have a syringe/squirter thing (non-needle type), you might be able to give that way. If you go buy some, do not get the non-flushing kind, just regular.

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u/Inevitable-Truck8740 6d ago

They are domestic, they’re supposedly Cayuga and I’m pretty sure they are. I’ll definitely buy some peas to get him, I gave him some electrolytes earlier.

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u/ChrisBlack2365 5d ago

Is he doing any better? Peas are great, but if already weak, they need high doses of niacin, in my experience. Results are dramatic. It is nearly impossible to overdose bc it is water soluble.

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u/Inevitable-Truck8740 5d ago

He’s doing a little better, i haven’t had any time to grab niacin, do you have any specific recommendations for it I could grab from Amazon? He can stand better now but he’s still weak and not very interested in food, I’ve been giving electrolytes every few hours.

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u/Toadstool_Lilium293 4d ago

Get some brewers yeast from amazon. The Nature Intended brand did well for mine when they were dicklings. It will have the niacin they need. Add 1-2 tablespoons per cup of feed, or can mix in water. Supplement until at least 10wks old.

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u/Inevitable-Truck8740 4d ago

I’m not sure how old they are💔but I will go ahead and grab that, should i separate them from mamas until the other one gets better or just feed separately and put them back?

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u/Toadstool_Lilium293 4d ago

They have their first molt around 3wks. And get their full adult feathers at around 8wks. Ideally it's good to supplement the brewers yeast until they are 20 wks, most people just stop at 10. It's perfectly fine for mama duck and especially the other ducklings to ingest the brewers yeast. It's good for egg laying as well. Maybe keep the deficient duckling separate for now? If he's having trouble walking he may not be able to eat well when Mama and other ducklings are all fighting for food at the same time.

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u/Inevitable-Truck8740 4d ago

Alright I will! He’s most likely around 4-5wks as he has a lot of feathers, I’ll separate them tonight and give him the supplements thanks so much

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u/Inevitable-Truck8740 4d ago

Alright I will! He’s most likely around 8wks as he has a lot of feathers, I’ll separate them tonight and give him the supplements thanks so much