2 food questions

[TLWR]

There is a feed store a couple miles from the house. They are cheaper than TSC for layer pellets and it is just a small local place, so I like supporting the small local guys. So we buy the big girl duck food there now.

With the trio of ducklings, I have Purina Flock Raiser from TSC. Crumbles. Once this bag is gone, I'd like to swap them to a pellet and TSC doesn't have that. The local feed store has a mini pellet food that is 22%. Is that ok for what will be about 2 month old ducklings at that time, or should I mix it with the 16% layer pellets?

Tucker Milling, LLC makes the food.


And when can I stop providing food at night for the ducklings since they make a huge mess in their house with that.

 

[Tahai]

22% is too high. They will develop angel wing. You want a pelleted feed with 15-16% protein.

I stopped feeding mine in their house at 6 weeks. They get morning and night feed in the pasture. At night they go into their house with a big bowl of water. I'm working them toward water free nights.

 

[Oregon Blues]

My adults get 20% protein, so I suspect that 22% would be OK, but only after all the large flight feathers are grown and the ducks are supporting their wings well.

You want to keep the % of protein down while the wing feathers grow, That will slow the feather growth and give the skinny little wing muscles a chance to develop enough strength to support the feathers.

You can feed partially those pellets and cut the protein with by mixing in something low in protein. Metzer has a calculator on hos web site to tel you how much feed to mix.

 

[AuroraSprings]

I will say, I've been using Faithway Feeds (from Guntersville), and it had WAY too low niacin and calcium. Many of our ducklings had leg issues and the adults were laying soft eggs . Now switched over to Southern States, so far it seems okay. I still have to supplement niacin to babies though. Considering trying Tucker Mills and would be interested in any info anyone has on their niacin levels and calcium levels and how they compare.

I KNOW that Purina's line of Country Acres Layer Pellets is great with ducks, but I've not found a single bag ANYWHERE in western GA. Grrr, I miss AL.

 

[TLWR]

I just tossed out the label info for the Tucker Mill feed over the weekend. I'll try to remember to post it the next time we pick up a bag.