An elderly Pekin duck's comfort is decided almost entirely by what is under her feet. The Pekin is a heavy white duck bred for rapid growth, and her frame asks more of her legs than almost any other common breed; by old age, sore joints and tender feet are the rule rather than the exception. Rebuild her pen as a soft, flat world with no steps anywhere, water she wades into at ground level, and distances so short that resting, drinking, eating and bathing all happen within a few unhurried steps of each other.
Step-free housing on genuinely deep bedding
Deep bedding is not a luxury for an elderly Pekin; it is the floor her feet require. Bed her house thickly with straw over a base that never lets her weight press through to boards or earth, and top it up before it compresses, because a Pekin resting on thin bedding develops pressure sores on her feet and breast. The doorway must be flush with the ground outside, with a wide, matted ramp only if the floor sits even slightly raised. Keep her sleeping area roomy enough to change position without standing fully each time, since rising is effort she rations. In summer, ensure the bedded area catches shade and airflow; a heavy white duck overheats where a lighter breed merely feels warm.
Ground-level water she wades into, not climbs toward
Wading entry replaces climbing for an elderly Pekin because her legs cannot haul her weight over a rim. Sink her bathing pool so the water meets a gently shelving beach of grass, matting or textured ramp at ground level, and keep the depth modest so she can stand and splash rather than swim herself tired. Getting out matters most: a wet Pekin is heavier still, and the exit slope must be the gentlest part of the whole setup. For drinking, give her a low, wide container she reaches by dipping her head down, never up, and stabilise it against her leaning weight. Refresh the water often, because a duck who cannot travel far drinks, bathes and rests around the same small station.
Short routes over grass, matting and never gravel
Surface choice is medical care in disguise for an elderly Pekin. Grass, packed earth topped with straw, and rubber matting all cushion her steps; concrete scrapes her soles and loose gravel is close to the worst surface she can walk on, pressing stones into tender feet with her full weight. Lay matting paths between her house, feed station and pool, and move the whole station cluster rather than asking her to commute. Put her feeder on that same soft ground, low and wide, and feed her apart from agile ducks who finish their share and then hers. Check the pen after rain for puddled mud she must cross; reroute her path or bridge it the same day, not at the weekend.
Leg watching, and when a Pekin needs the vet promptly
An elderly Pekin tells you about her legs by how much of the day she chooses to spend sitting. Sitting to rest is normal; sitting because standing hurts shows as reluctance to rise for feed, shuffling on her hocks, or nibbling at a sore foot. Examine her soles weekly for swelling, scabs or heat, since her weight turns a small foot sore into a serious problem quickly. Contact a vet familiar with waterfowl promptly if she stops bearing weight, a foot swells noticeably, she goes off feed, or she cannot get out of her pool. Note which leg and when it started, and keep her bedding and surface changes recorded in KinsLe's Pet Passport, so her vet sees the full home picture behind the leg in front of them.