A good feed?

I am feeding my two new ducklings the Dumor chick/duckling starter. They are doing just fine. My three grown ducks are on a different brand of chick starter, called Hi-Pro feeds. I like the Dumor alot better but the local feed store doesn't carry it and we only go to TSC every two weeks or so.

~ Aspen

While we're on the topic, I couldn't find starter feed, or even all of the ingredients in for the home-made recipe in the Storey's guide, in my neighborhood, so we improvised:

Free choice feed:

-8 cups cornmeal

-1 cup dried milk

-1 cup wheat germ

-1 cup spent brewers yeast

Free choice sand with crushed eggshell from hard-boiled eggs.

Daily rations of chopped greens with crumbled yolks from the hard-boiled eggs.

Our duckling seemed to like it, especially the yolks, and is still healthy and growing after two weeks on this diet.  I'd love suggestions for improvements, though, I have more ducklings coming in May, and I'll need to mix up a lot of starter feed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChicagoDucks 

While we're on the topic, I couldn't find starter feed, or even all of the ingredients in for the home-made recipe in the Storey's guide, in my neighborhood, so we improvised:

Free choice feed:

-8 cups cornmeal

-1 cup dried milk

-1 cup wheat germ

-1 cup spent brewers yeast

Free choice sand with crushed eggshell from hard-boiled eggs.

Daily rations of chopped greens with crumbled yolks from the hard-boiled eggs.

 

Our duckling seemed to like it, especially the yolks, and is still healthy and growing after two weeks on this diet.  I'd love suggestions for improvements, though, I have more ducklings coming in May, and I'll need to mix up a lot of starter feed.

Hi ChicagoDucks.  I think the only problem you may have is protein level and being a complete feed.  I checked in Storey's Guide and he recommends soy and meat and bone meal for protein.  Corn products are very low in protein, 8% I think, and wheat is also low.  Giving the egg yold will up the level.  I applaude you for making your own but it doesn't seem like a complete feed.  Manufactured feeds have the needed vitamins etc in them, making your own you will need to add salts, phosphates etc.  Check in Appendix B which lists symptoms of vitamin deficiencies and you will see all of the vitamins needed.

You can use chick starter for ducks, non medicated is best and then just suppliment niacin.
 

OK! thanks for the tips!  :-)
 

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdywntr 

Hi ChicagoDucks.  I think the only problem you may have is protein level and being a complete feed.  I checked in Storey's Guide and he recommends soy and meat and bone meal for protein.  Corn products are very low in protein, 8% I think, and wheat is also low.  Giving the egg yold will up the level.  I applaude you for making your own but it doesn't seem like a complete feed.  Manufactured feeds have the needed vitamins etc in them, making your own you will need to add salts, phosphates etc.  Check in Appendix B which lists symptoms of vitamin deficiencies and you will see all of the vitamins needed.

You can use chick starter for ducks, non medicated is best and then just suppliment niacin.