Why do ducklings fall to their feet: causes and treatment of diseases at home

When growing 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 unpretentious poultry in care. With proper care and prevention, diseases and mortality of young animals can be avoided. Consider why ducklings sit down and fall to their feet, what diseases are the most dangerous, what treatment will be needed.

The main causes of the death of ducks and ways to deal with it

At the age of 2-3 months, ducks gain weight, become adults, ready for slaughter.It is important to ensure 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 the young animals show signs of weakness, they constantly sit down, cannot stand up and walk normally, you need to call the veterinarian.

The main difficulty is that the fall of ducklings and impaired mobility is a symptom of many diseases or evidence of a violation of the conditions of detention. Identifying the causes is the first step to keeping the young. Consider what can cause ducklings to fall on their paws.

Essential Amino Acid Deficiency

Many poultry farmers adhere to traditional feeding methods when growing. Ducklings are given eggs, cottage cheese, 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, growth retardation.

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

With a deficiency of amino acids, ducklings do not need to be treated. It is important to organize a balanced diet, introduce premixes, meat and fish bone meal into the feed of young animals, which stabilize protein metabolism. Otherwise, the underdeveloped skeleton does not hold the growing body, the ducklings weaken, fall on their paws. Compound feed is selected and rationed taking into account the breed, age.

Macronutrient imbalance

It is not easy to create a diet for young animals in which macronutrients are in a state of 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 dietary supplements.

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 that lose calcium when laying eggs.Feed additives for young animals contain macronutrients in the right ratio, correct the imbalance of feed. When choosing a breed for breeding, it is better to focus on ducks with strong immunity, unpretentious in feed (mulards).

Hypovitaminosis

Vitamin deficiency causes multiple movement disorders in ducklings due to skeletal weakness, underdevelopment of ligaments and muscles. Young animals have leg failure, they can hardly move, drag their limbs, movements are uncoordinated.

Types of hypovitaminosis and treatment methods:

Leg deformityGeneral weakness B2Stunting Q12No food

Vitamin deficiency	Signs	Treatment
D	Stunting Rickets Eggs have soft shells	Drink with fish oil, provide walking in the sun, in cold weather - irradiation with UV lamps
E, calcium	Slowdown Jerky movements	Vitamin E (tocopherol), greens, carrots, dairy products, crushed shells
	Lack of coordination Paw deformity Anemia	Yeast, cereal mixes, sprouted grains, meat, bone, fishmeal, dairy
	Unable to stand up Convulsions Crawling	Dairy and protein supplements, shells

If the duckling has fallen on its paws due to rickets, treatment is usually futile.

Poisoning

If the duckling does not stand on its feet, you need to analyze the composition of herbal and grain feed. Stale grains contaminated with a 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 down on their paws. Vitamins, mucous decoctions, castor oil, milk are used for treatment. Normalize the diet.

Microclimate does not meet recommended standards

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

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

In cold poultry houses, ducklings huddle together, trying to keep warm, often catch colds and die. If the duckling sits away from the others, breathing heavily, he may suffer from overheating, which is also dangerous. The lack of fresh air, ultraviolet radiation can cause leg diseases, muscle and skeletal weakness, due to which ducklings sit on their feet. The least capriciousness to the conditions of detention is demonstrated by young Indian women.

High Density

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

Incorrect arrangement of the walking area

Young animals need a place to walk to maintain immunity, develop muscles and skeleton. Constant dirt on the paddock is not dangerous for an adult bird, but ducklings suffer from dampness, underdeveloped joints are deformed and inflamed. At home, playgrounds for young ducks should be kept dry, stones, large objects, glass, which can injure paws, should be removed.

Ectoparasite attack

Ticks, pereedy, fleas - external parasites that weaken ducklings, cause developmental delays, slow weight gain, disease. In a bird, the body constantly itches from bites, the kids become restless, nervous, lose their appetite. An 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 abdomen and cloaca, under the wing, if parasites are found, a serum ointment is applied.In poultry houses, you need to regularly clean with disinfectants, change the litter.

Reference: other causes of ducks falling on their paws can be infectious and parasitic diseases.

Prevention measures

Young animals should be under the constant attention of poultry farmers. If it is noticed that individual individuals fall on their paws, walk poorly, they are isolated, and the causes of the disease state are found out. Prevention includes:

• drawing up a balanced diet in accordance with age needs and norms;
• compliance with containment;
• thorough and regular cleaning of the house and range;
• young animals are being soldered with prophylactic medications.

Aging diet and parasite removal are essential to keep young ducks he althy.

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 rapid weight gain.

Other baby feeding rules:

• grass is given from the 3rd day - greens are crushed, poisonous plants are removed, the composition of the components is changed to ensure the usefulness of food;
• 3-week-old ducklings are fed a combination feed for young animals (PMMC 2-20% of the diet);
• include premixes, vitamins (fish oil, Trivitamin, Trivit, Tetravit);
• shell replenishes calcium, but Tricalcium Phosphate is better.

Diversified food helps to strengthen the immune system, accelerate growth and weight gain.

Ectoparasite elimination

Infested young ducks are a pitiful sight - dirty plumage with bald spots, poor appetite, lethargy is replaced by increased anxiety. Young growth should be examined for early detection of pests.

The elimination of parasites includes 2 types of activities:

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

The following drugs are used to eliminate lice and fleas in ducklings:

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 an ampoule.
2. "Deltsid". 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 sign of infection, the ducklings are isolated, but the entire population will have to be processed, as parasites quickly spread through the house.

Duckling squatting is a common problem when rearing young animals. Proper housing conditions, preventive measures, proper feeding with vitamin supplements help to reduce the likelihood of dangerous consequences for livestock.

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