Why ducklings sit and fall on their feet and treatment of diseases at home
When raising ducks, the most responsible and difficult period is the first 3 weeks of a bird's life. Ducklings are especially vulnerable at an early age, in the future the young grow stronger and gain strength. Adult ducks are classified as low-maintenance poultry. With proper care and prevention, disease and mortality of young animals can be avoided. Consider why the ducklings sit down and fall to their feet, what diseases are the most dangerous, what treatment will be required.
The main causes of the death of ducks and how to deal with it
At the age of 2-3 months, the ducks gain weight, become adults, ready for slaughter. It is important to provide proper care and prevention of possible problems in the first days of ducklings' life, 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 conditions of detention. Revealing the causes is the first step in keeping young stock. Consider what can cause ducklings to fall on their feet.
Deficiency of essential amino acids
Many poultry growers stick to traditional feeding methods. Ducklings are given eggs, cottage cheese, grass. For growth and active metabolism, young animals require the presence of essential amino acids in the diet. A methionine deficiency in ducklings, for example, leads to muscular dystrophy and stunted growth.
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.
With a deficiency of amino acids, it is not necessary to treat ducklings. It is important to organize a balanced diet, to introduce premixes, meat and fish and 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, fall on their paws. Compound feeds are selected and standardized taking into account the breed, age.
Macronutrient imbalance
It is not easy to formulate a diet for young stock in which macronutrients are in balance. A deficiency in any of the macronutrients can cause ducklings to sit up 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 supplements on a natural basis ("Tricalcium phosphate").It is also given to adult ducks, which lose calcium when laying eggs. Feed additives for young animals contain macronutrients in the right ratio, correct imbalance in feed. When choosing a breed for breeding, it is better to focus on ducks with strong immunity, unpretentious in feed (mulardy).
Hypovitaminosis
Vitamin deficiency causes multiple movement disorders in ducklings due to skeletal weakness, underdevelopment of ligaments and muscles. The youngsters give up their legs, they can hardly move, drag their limbs, the movements are uncoordinated.
Types of hypovitaminosis and methods of treatment:
| Vitamin deficiency | Signs | Treatment |
| D | Deformity of the legs Stunted growth Rickets Eggshells | Drink with fish oil, provide walking in the sun, in cold weather - irradiation with UV lamps |
| E, calcium | General weakness Lethargy Convulsive movements | Vitamin E (tocopherol), greens, carrots, dairy products, crushed shells |
| AT 2 | Stunted growth Lack of coordination Deformation of the paws Anemia | Yeast, cereal mixtures, sprouted grains, meat, bone, fish meal, dairy |
| AT 12 | Refusal to eat Inability to get on your feet Convulsions Crawling movement | Dairy and protein supplements, shells |
If the duckling falls on its paws due to rickets, treatment is usually futile.
Poisoning
If the duck does not stand up, you need to analyze the composition of grass and grain feed. Fallen grains infected with the fungus often cause poisoning in ducks and especially ducklings. Not all plants are equally useful for birds; poisonous species cause poisoning, convulsions, and sometimes death. Ducklings get sick with poor-quality food, sit on their paws. For treatment, vitamins, mucous decoctions, castor oil, milk are used. Normalize the diet.
Non-compliance of the microclimate with the 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 against drafts;
- the presence of ventilation.
In cold poultry houses, ducklings huddle together, trying to keep warm, often catch colds and die. If the duckling sits down far from the others, breathes heavily, he may suffer from overheating, which is also dangerous. Lack of fresh air, ultraviolet radiation can cause diseases of the legs, muscle and skeletal weakness, due to which ducklings sit on their feet. Young Indo-girls show the least whimsy to the conditions of detention.
High planting density
In an overcrowded poultry house, the young do not have enough air, personal space. Ducklings cannot make their way to the feeders, injure limbs, limp when their paws are damaged. Due to the lack of food, they suffer from malnutrition, die due to a lack of vitamins and macronutrients.
Improper arrangement of the walking area
Youngsters need a place to walk to maintain immunity, develop muscles and skeleton. Constant dirt on the walking area is not dangerous for an adult bird, but ducklings suffer from dampness, underdeveloped joints are deformed and inflamed. At home, playgrounds for young ducks need to be kept dry, stones, large objects, glass that can injure paws should be removed.
Ectoparasite attack
Ticks, feathers, fleas are external parasites that weaken ducklings, cause developmental delays, slow weight gain, and illness. In a bird, the body constantly itches from bites, babies become restless, nervous, lose their appetite. The exhausted chick falls on its paws; with a strong infection and untimely elimination of ectoparasites, it is not possible to revive the duckling. Young animals are regularly examined in the area of the abdomen and cloaca, under the wing, when parasites are detected, serortute ointment is applied. In poultry houses, you need to regularly clean up with disinfectants, change the litter.
Preventive actions
Young animals should be under constant supervision of poultry farmers. If it is noticed that some individuals fall on their paws, walk poorly, they are isolated, and the causes of the painful condition are found out. Prevention includes:
- preparation of a balanced diet in accordance with age-related needs and norms;
- compliance with the conditions of detention;
- thorough and regular cleaning of the poultry house and walking area;
- young animals are soldered prophylactically with medications.
An age-related diet and the elimination of parasites are the basis for maintaining the health of young ducks.
Diet
Experienced poultry farmers advise using starter compound 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 paid off by the high survival rate of young ducks and fast weight gain.
Other rules for feeding young animals:
- the grass is given from the 3rd day - the greens are crushed, poisonous plants are removed, the composition of the components is changed to ensure the usefulness of the food;
- three-week old ducklings are fed with a combined feed for young animals (BVMK 2-20% of the diet);
- include premixes, vitamins (fish oil, "Trivitamin", "Trivit", "Tetravit");
- the shell replenishes the calcium reserves, but it is better to use "Tricalcium phosphate".
A variety of foods can strengthen the immune system, accelerate growth and gain weight.
Elimination of ectoparasites
Young ducks infected with parasites are a miserable sight - dirty plumage with bald spots, poor appetite, lethargy gives way to increased anxiety. Young animals should be examined for early detection of ectophoresis.
Elimination of parasites includes 2 types of measures:
- poultry treatment;
- poultry house treatment (lime, disinfectants) and bedding replacement.
To eliminate chewing lice and fleas in ducklings, the following drugs are used:
- "Butox 50". The finished medicinal product is an insecticide acaricide. Eliminates adults and larvae, does not affect eggs, therefore, re-processing of young animals will be required. A solution (4 liters) is prepared from the ampoule.
- "Deltsid". Prepare an emulsion and spray on the bird.
To remove ticks, apply:
- Boric petroleum jelly. Sick areas of the body are treated for a week. Then the course is repeated after 3 weeks.
- "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. Course - a week.
- "Butox-50". Make a solution in 1-1.5 liter of water.
At the first sign of infection, the ducklings are isolated, but the entire livestock will have to be treated, since the parasites quickly spread throughout the house.
Squatting ducklings on their feet is a common problem when raising young animals. Appropriate housing conditions, preventive measures, and proper feeding with vitamin supplements help to reduce the likelihood of dangerous consequences for livestock.
