Why ducklings sit down and fall on their feet and treatment of diseases at home

When raising ducks, the most critical and difficult period is the first 3 weeks of the bird’s life. Ducklings are especially vulnerable at an early age; later the young grow stronger and gain strength. Adult ducks are considered low-maintenance poultry. With proper care and prevention, diseases and mortality of young animals can be avoided. Let's look at why ducklings sit down and fall on their feet, what diseases are most dangerous, and what treatment will be required.

The main causes of duck mortality and ways to combat it

At the age of 2-3 months, ducks gain weight and become adults, ready for slaughter. It is important to provide proper care and prevention of possible problems in the first days of life of ducklings, so as not to lose the productivity of the livestock. If young animals show signs of weakness, they constantly sit down, cannot get up and walk normally, you need to call a veterinarian.

The main difficulty is that falling ducklings and impaired mobility are a symptom of many diseases or evidence of a violation of living conditions. Identifying the reasons is the first step to preserving young animals. Let's look at what can cause ducklings to fall on their feet.

Essential amino acid deficiency

Many poultry farmers adhere to traditional feeding methods when raising poultry. The ducklings are given eggs, cottage cheese, and grass. For growth and active metabolism, young animals require the presence of essential amino acids in the diet. Methionine deficiency in ducklings, for example, leads to muscular dystrophy and growth retardation.

With a lack of histidine, the pectoral muscles are poorly developed. In this case, not only the presence of amino acids is important, but also the proportional ratio.

If there is an amino acid deficiency, ducklings do not need to be treated. It is important to organize a balanced diet, to introduce premixes, meat and fish bone meal into the feed of young animals, which stabilize protein metabolism. Otherwise, the underdeveloped skeleton does not support the growing body, the ducklings weaken and fall on their feet. Compound feeds are selected and standardized taking into account the breed and age.

Macronutrient imbalance

It is not easy to create a diet for young animals in which macroelements are in a state of balance. A deficiency of any of the macronutrients can cause ducklings to sit down and not walk.

The ratio of phosphorus and calcium is especially important, which is difficult to achieve in the absence of special additives in the diet.

Poultry farmers feed crushed shells to ducklings, but it is better to use ready-made food additives on a natural basis (“Tricalcium phosphate”). It is also given to adult ducks that lose calcium when laying eggs. Feed additives for young animals contain macroelements in the required ratio and correct feed imbalances. When choosing a breed for breeding, it is better to choose ducks with strong immunity and unpretentious feed (mulards).

Hypovitaminosis

Vitamin deficiency causes multiple movement disorders in ducklings due to skeletal weakness, underdevelopment of ligaments and muscles. The young animals' legs give out, they can barely move, drag their limbs, and their movements are uncoordinated.

Types of hypovitaminosis and methods of treatment:

If a duckling falls on its feet due to rickets, treatment is usually futile.

Poisoning

If the duckling does not stand on its legs, you need to analyze the composition of grass and grain feed. Stale grains infected with fungus often cause poisoning in ducks and, especially, ducklings.Not all plants are equally beneficial for birds; poisonous species cause poisoning, convulsions, and sometimes death. Ducklings get sick when the food is of poor quality and sit on their feet. For treatment, vitamins, mucous decoctions, castor oil, and milk are used. Normalize the diet.

Microclimate does not comply with recommended standards

Like all babies, ducklings at an early age need a special microclimate. What conditions need to be maintained indoors:

• temperature in the first week – 24-30 °, in the second – 18-26 °;
• humidity – 65-70%;
• intense lighting for a long time;
• protection from drafts;
• availability of ventilation.

In cold poultry houses, ducklings huddle together, trying to stay warm, and often catch colds and die. If the duckling sits away from the others and is breathing heavily, it may suffer from overheating, which is also dangerous. The lack of fresh air and ultraviolet radiation can cause leg diseases, muscle and skeletal weakness, which causes ducklings to sit on their feet. Young Indian ducks demonstrate the least whimsicality to living conditions.

High stocking density

In an overcrowded poultry house, young animals lack air and personal space. Ducklings cannot get to the feeders, they injure their limbs, and they limp when their paws are damaged. Due to lack of food, they suffer from malnutrition and die due to lack of vitamins and macroelements.

Improper arrangement of the walking area

Young animals need a place to walk to maintain immunity, muscle and skeletal development. Constant dirt on the walking area is not dangerous for adult birds, but ducklings suffer from dampness, underdeveloped joints become deformed and become inflamed.At home, areas for young ducks should be kept dry, stones, large objects, and glass that can injure their paws should be removed.

Ectoparasite attack

Ticks, feather eaters, fleas are external parasites that weaken ducklings, cause developmental delays, slow weight gain, and illness. The bird's body is constantly itching from bites, the babies become restless, nervous, and lose their appetite. The exhausted chick falls on its paws; in case of severe infection and untimely elimination of ectoparasites, it is not possible to revive the duckling. Young animals are regularly examined in the abdomen and cloaca, under the wing, and if parasites are detected, mercury ointment is applied. Poultry houses need to be regularly cleaned with disinfectant solutions and the litter changed.

Preventive actions

Young animals should be under the constant attention of poultry farmers. If it is noticed that individual animals fall on their paws or walk poorly, they are isolated and the causes of the painful condition are determined. Prevention includes:

• drawing up a balanced diet in accordance with age needs and norms;
• compliance with conditions of detention;
• thorough and regular cleaning of the poultry house and walking area;
• Young animals are fed prophylactically with medications.

Age-appropriate diet and parasite removal are fundamental to keeping young ducks healthy.

Diet

Experienced poultry farmers advise using starter feed for young animals from the first days of life, in which all the necessary components are in the right proportions. The costs are fully recouped by the high survival rate of young ducks and rapid weight gain.

Other rules for feeding young animals:

• grass is given from the 3rd day - the greens are chopped, poisonous plants are removed, the composition of the components is changed to ensure the nutritional value of the food;
• three-week-old ducklings are fed with combined feed for young animals (BVMK 2-20% of the diet);
• include premixes, vitamins (fish oil, Trivitamin, Trivit, Tetravit);
• the shell replenishes calcium reserves, but it is better to use Tricalcium Phosphate.

A varied diet can strengthen your immune system and accelerate growth and weight gain.

Elimination of ectoparasites

Young ducks affected by parasites present a pitiful sight - dirty plumage with bald spots, poor appetite, lethargy gives way to increased anxiety. Young animals need to be inspected for early detection of ectopests.

Elimination of parasites includes 2 types of measures:

• poultry treatment;
• treatment of the poultry house (lime, disinfectants) and replacement of litter.

To eliminate lice eaters and fleas in ducklings, the following drugs are used:

1. "Butox 50". The finished medicinal product is an acaricide-insecticide. Eliminates adults and larvae, does not affect eggs, so re-treatment of young animals will be required. A solution (4 liters) is prepared from the ampoule.
2. "Delcid". Prepare an emulsion and spray the bird.

To remove ticks use:

1. Boric Vaseline. Treat diseased areas of the body for a week. Then the course is repeated after 3 weeks.
2. "ASD-3". The drug is mixed with vegetable oil in a ratio of 1 to 5 and rubbed into the skin three times a day. The course is a week.
3. "Butox-50". Make a solution in 1-1.5 liters of water.

At the first signs of infection, the ducklings are isolated, but the entire population will have to be treated, since the parasites quickly spread throughout the poultry house.

Ducklings squatting on their feet is a common problem when raising young animals.Proper housing conditions, preventive measures, and proper feeding with vitamin supplements help reduce the likelihood of dangerous consequences for livestock.