How to add niacin - Legs Trembling - Dumor Feed

kristen2678

Songster
10 Years
Apr 26, 2009
384
9
154
North Berwick Maine
Hi,

Need some guidance here. New to ducks and geese. Received 13 runners and a pair of dewlap toulouse from Holderread's 3.5 weeks ago. They all seem healthy and robust. Especially the geese. The gander is just massive and his dewlap is already coming in. The runners are doing something weird though. I don't know if it's their personality, or if there is a niacin problem. When they stand up they stretch, and their lower bodies quiver. They hustle off to wherever they are going and sit down. They get in and out of their little swim pan without trouble and are making their way around the yard a bit. Is this the beginnings of a niacin problem or just growing ducks? They are on Dumor Chick Starter/Grower. It is for chicks, ducks, geese, and game birds. The ingredients show a niacin supplement but it doesn't say how much.

Thoughts?
 
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body quivers, if they last a second or two, are just stretching, like a dog or cat would.

leg shakes are a niacin deficiency. yours are at about the same age mine were when they got the leg wobbles. Even if your feed has enough niacin for ducks in general, some ducks are deficient in the gut flora that converts niacin to tryptophan, so need larger doses of niacin. Add greens to their diet, if you haven't already, and buy some niacin tablets (nicotinic acid type) to grind up and put on their feed.

long-term body shakes...no clue. Maybe cold?

best wishes,

Tahai
 
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Thanks. I guess I'll add a little brewers yeast to be sure. I'm wondering if whatever they are finding for forage is not high enough in niacin. They have been "ranging" for the last few days and not eating as much food. Hmmmmm.
 
Couldn't find brewers yeast locally. I got some niacin capsules - 500mg. Is shaking half a capsule into their drinking water ok? I hate to confine them but while they are free ranging they don't seem to drink much water. They hustle to a spot and sit and eat for a while, then hustle to another spot. I lock them up at night so I assume they will each drink enough at that point.
 
Couldn't find brewers yeast locally. I got some niacin capsules - 500mg. Is shaking half a capsule into their drinking water ok? I hate to confine them but while they are free ranging they don't seem to drink much water. They hustle to a spot and sit and eat for a while, then hustle to another spot. I lock them up at night so I assume they will each drink enough at that point.
This link will give you info on using niacin. http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html
 
I'm about to pick up some Dumor grower food because it's the only grower I can find in stores right now, and I was wondering about this too. Thanks for the link! I'll do 500 mg of niacin for every four gallons of water, since most of the water gets played in instead of drunk!
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