How much Brewer's Yeast should I give to my ducklings?

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ejctm

ejctm

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I am raising my 4 runner ducklings on unmedicated chick starter currently - they are only a few days old. I have bought some Brewer's Yeast but don't know how much to add. For now, I have added half a teaspoonful into their bowl of food, but it is difficult to know how much food to give them as they are eating more every day, also a lot of food gets spoiled and thrown away too.
Don't want to under or over dose them.


Any advice?

Thanks
 
Here is a link to a site that gives the nutritional needs of ducklings.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/poultry/feeding/nutritional-requirements-ducks

Check it against what you are feeding them- they may be eating enough food to be getting the daily requirement without the need to supplement. I only give my newly hatched duckling vitamin powder in their water for the first day or so while they are gaining their strength- as the feed I use is manufactured to be a complete diet. You may need to weigh the food to work out how much they actually consume in a day. Duckling can tend to eat more than chickens- who have a lower niacin requirement- so by eating more- they do get the required daily requirement in alot of cases.

Edited to add link... Sorry...
 
Last edited:
Thanks Duckyfromoz, but couldn't find the link!

Since the chick starter is really for chickens, I thought I had to supplement it for the ducks. I see what you are saying, but it would be impossible to know how much each duck is eating. I have to put out more than I think they will eat so they always have food available and don't run out. Also mummy hen is being fed on their food at the moment too, as I don't think the ducklings should have access to layers pellets just yet!
 
My 5 runners are about 11 weeks old now. I have been giving them powdered brewers yeast since they were a week old. I used one of those plastic quart sized poultry feeders at first. I took an old pie pan and used it for mixing the food and grit and yeast together. I added 3/4 teaspoon of yeast to the pie pan. Even as they got bigger I still used the pie pan to help me measure and mix. It usually took 4 pie pans full to fill their next sized feeder! So to every pie pan I added 3/4 teaspoon of yeast no matter how many pans it takes to fill the feeder.

Well now that they are outside and have a 22lb feeder hanging in their run I don't use the pans anymore but every 3 scoops of food (that's about how much a pan held) I add about 3/4 teaspoon of yeast.

Oh by the way I have been feeding mine the Purina Flock Raiser feed!

Hope this helps a bit!! Have fun with your babies! They grow up fast!
 
Do they need all this if they are free ranging and appear to be plump? I have 1 Pekin drake and 1 Rouen Drake when I read this it made me wonder.
They free range as often as they please they are never locked up not even at night. Would I still need to add more to their diet?
 
I read that you should give brewers yeast in 5% ratio.
My ducklings are almost four weeks and i'm still feeding them it.
Yougive them brewers yeast for niacin, which helps there bones develop properly because they grow so fast.
 
The Best Duck said:
I read that you should give brewers yeast in 5% ratio.
My ducklings are almost four weeks and i'm still feeding them it.
Yougive them brewers yeast for niacin, which helps there bones develop properly because they grow so fast.
Click to expand...


I love this site!! Any question I pop into Google about chickens or ducks brings me here.

So of course I'm enquiring about Brewers Yeast for the ducklings arriving on Tuesday. Did you use 5% from day old ?

I plan to use some ACV in their water and probiotics as well.

Thanks! Sandy
 
Nice thing about brewer's yeast is it has a number of B vitamins that help development, including development of the nervous system - really nice since most of us can only find chick starter.

Many ducklings don't show signs of B deficiencies, but many do, so I feel it is a good precautionary practice.
 

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