Pelleted vs Mash & Protein question??

My ducks are going on 2 weeks old. I got a pelleted feed that is 24% protein. How long should I keep them on this high of protein? I can get a 20% protein, but it is a mash feed. What do you like better pelleted or mash? thanks!

NUTRIENT ANALYSIS Crude Protein, Minimum..................................... 24.00%
Lysine, Minimum………………………...........…………….. 1.30%
Methionine, Minimum………………………........……….. 0.50%
Crude Fat, Minimum.............................................. 5.00%
Crude Fiber, Maximum.......................................... 7.00%
Calcium (Ca), Minimum.................…...................... 0.70%
Calcium (Ca), Maximum......................................... 1.20%
Phosphorus (P), Minimum..................................... 0.70%
Salt (NaCl), Minimum............................................. 0.30%
Salt (NaCl), Maximum............................................ 0.50%

INGREDIENTS Processed Grain By-Products, Plant Protein Products, Grain Products, Animal Protein Products, Calcium Carbonate, Dried Corynebacterium Glutamicum Fermentation Product, Methionine Supplement, Salt, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Bacillus lentus Fermentation Extract, Dried Pichia pastoris Fermentation Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Vegetable Fat, Roughage Products, Ferrous Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Niacinamide, dl-alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (source of Vitamin E activity), Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Menadione Nicotinamide Bisulfite (source of Vitamin K Activity), Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Sodium Selenite, Ethoxyquin, Calcium Iodate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Cobalt Carbonate, Biotin.

I don't have my Storey's Guide right handy, but I have a couple of thoughts.

I mixed chopped rolled oats into a higher protein feed to cut that down to recommended levels when they were little, and I also started adding grower pellets to the crumbles when they were 2 weeks old. At first I added just a little grower, then increased the amount of grower till we used up the crumbles.

Amiga said:

I don't have my Storey's Guide right handy, but I have a couple of thoughts.

I mixed chopped rolled oats into a higher protein feed to cut that down to recommended levels when they were little, and I also started adding grower pellets to the crumbles when they were 2 weeks old. At first I added just a little grower, then increased the amount of grower till we used up the crum

Click to expand...

Do you feed them niacin? If so how much per day per bird?

Here is a writeup I put together about niacin and B vitamin supplements.

People often get confused about what to use, so please stick with me here .

You have some options.

I would go with brewer's yeast. Forgive me for using capital letters, but for anyone else who may casually look over this thread, NOT baking yeast, NOT winemaking yeast. Brewer's yeast is a nutritional supplement and it provides niacin and a few other vitamins.

Generally, folks who supplement with brewer’s yeast use a tablespoon per cup of food.

Ducklings need about three times the niacin chicks do. And some ducklings get leg problems or seizures if they don't have enough niacin.

If you cannot find the brewer's yeast, or if you happen to have (here come the capital letters again, please forgive me) PLAIN niacin - NOT no-flush, NOT timed release, then dissolve 150 mg niacin per gallon of water for the duckling’s drinking water.

Another approach is to use B Complex capsules, and use the B3 - niacin - levels as a guide. Again, 150 mg B3 per gallon of drinking water.


Keep the little one on the supplements for about 8 weeks.

Sometimes it only takes a few days to see improvement.

You can also see how it went for Qwackers and Bentley from these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857143/treating-wry-neck-in-crested-duckling-edited-title

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/761308/peking-duckling-with-crooked-neck-help

Amiga said:

Here is a writeup I put together about niacin and B vitamin supplements.

People often get confused about what to use, so please stick with me here

.


You have some options.

I would go with brewer's yeast. Forgive me for using capital letters, but for anyone else who may casually look over this thread, NOT baking yeast, NOT winemaking yeast. Brewer's yeast is a nutritional supplement and it provides niacin and a few other vitamins.

Generally, folks who supplement with brewer’s yeast use a tablespoon per cup of food.

Ducklings need about three times the niacin chicks do. And some ducklings get leg problems or seizures if they don't have enough niacin.

If you cannot find the brewer's yeast, or if you happen to have (here come the capital letters again, please forgive me) PLAIN niacin - NOT no-flush, NOT timed release, then dissolve 150 mg niacin per gallon of water for the duckling’s drinking water.

Another approach is to use B Complex capsules, and use the B3 - niacin - levels as a guide. Again, 150 mg B3 per gallon of drinking water.


Keep the little one on the supplements for about 8 weeks.

Sometimes it only takes a few days to see improvement.

You can also see how it went for Qwackers and Bentley from these threads.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857143/treating-wry-neck-in-crested-duckling-edited-title

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/761308/peking-duckling-with-crooked-neck-help

Click to expand...

I can not thank you enough!!!!!!