2 months old....understanding behaviors

[TSOWOATNKC]

No thanks.....I don't need that book. I never encountered niacin deficiency in any Ducks I've raised or owned and have never added supplements to my feed. I think I'm doing great on my own..

Out of curiosity; do you use a flock raiser like the green feed, or chick starter/grower? I used flock raiser from the start because at the chick class I attended they said that is what you should do for a mixed flock. We started with chickens, but I always knew I wanted and preferred ducks. Now everyone is on an All Flock and seems fine thus far. I've never needed to add supplements, and my theory was that because the Flock Raiser, and then All Flock had the various nutrients necessary.

 

[Abraeri]

What are you feeding your Birds..?
Way too much thought on Niacin deficiency in my opinion. Ducks require balanced feed with proper levels of vitamins and minerals.

Most of us feed our ducks chicken feed since specialized duck food is not always available. Ducks have a higher niacin requirement, so giving them a niacin supplement would actually be giving them the nutrition they need.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Even sometimes on Flock raiser some ducklings still need an extra boost don't know why but usually if they get it this extra they recover pretty quick.

 

[Abraeri]

No thanks.....I don't need that book. I never encountered niacin deficiency in any Ducks I've raised or owned and have never added supplements to my feed. I think I'm doing great on my own..

I'm glad your ducks haven't had an issue yet, but that doesn't mean everyone's situation is the same. I have a duck who clearly has a niacin deficiency; she will start limping and when I give her niacin it clears up. Not once but it has happened three or four times, so I know for sure that it is a niacin deficiency. They free range all day so it is not an issue of them not eating "natural things" or whatever; she just has an issue with niacin deficiency.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'm glad your ducks haven't had an issue yet, but that doesn't mean everyone's situation is the same. I have a duck who clearly has a niacin deficiency; she will start limping and when I give her niacin it clears up. Not once but it has happened three or four times, so I know for sure that it is a niacin deficiency. They free range all day so it is not an issue of them not eating "natural things" or whatever; she just has an issue with niacin deficiency.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Most of us feed our ducks chicken feed since specialized duck food is not always available. Ducks have a higher niacin requirement, so giving them a niacin supplement would actually be giving them the nutrition they need.

 

[TSOWOATNKC]

I can only find little bags of duck feed, so I've never used it.

If you don't use straight off the shelf feed (and only straight off the shelf feed), aren't you technically supplementing? To my mind that's supplementing. Even just adding peas regularly is supplementing in my view. Every little bit helps.

I'd love to read what your recipe is if you wish to share!

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use Nutritional yeast for my self and my flock it's a really good natural way to get the B vitamins essential for a healthy body. I am not saying every one should do this but gosh we have so many members coming back and saying how the niacin helped their little duckling recover I don't even know why there is a negative review of this. If someone duckling is limping or struggling to stand and walk it's either an injury or niacin deficiency or yes birth defect. But why not give the niacin, Brewers yeast or Nutritional yeast or B complex a try. If it doesn't work then you go from there. Onto the next step in trying to figure out what it is. Using the niacin etc according to what's rec. can be beneficial.

 

[Abraeri]

My feed is All bought and free range time is available too. Supplements are added powders or liquids of extra vitamins or minerals. Feed is feed.

Do you mix feeds? Or did you mean something else when you said

... I have a recipe for not running into deficiencies with my Ducks..

Just want to learn what you do to make sure your ducks are getting the nutrition they need when they are being fed a food that wasn't exactly designed for them.

 

[TSOWOATNKC]

I suppose we just have a difference in semantics. I've nursed 8 kids now; I supplemented one with formula (a prescription amino acid based formula because of a medical condition), the rest never needed supplementation of any kind. Once they were old enough they had solid food, before that it was all mom-cafeteria.

To me, anything given in addition to is supplementing. More of the same is not supplementing. Giving my 6 month old her Vitamin D drops, and the kids their supplements, is giving them their supplements, it's not supplementation to my mind.

So feed+feed=feed, feed+anything=supplementation