All advice for raising ducklings please

[Bentleyriot]

As of now they are in a tote with a heat light they come out to run around for few hours and the food from farm and home they seem to eat it just fine

 

[junior67]

Duckling Starter is always preferable, imo, due to its higher protein content. Over here I think the difference is from 18% to 22%.

Some say higher protein causes angelwing, but I have yet to experience this (knock on wood). Heck, I even feed it to the chicks.

This says all stages and is 22% protein.

 

[junior67]

Does any where on the bag say for ducklings ? I don't think I have ever seen just duck crumble before.

It says all stages.

 

[Canadian Wind]

This says all stages and is 22% protein.

I would stick with this then.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Yes that is perfect just make sure to supplement with something like Nutritional yeast so they get a good amount of Niacin 1Tablespoon to each cup of food you offer them.

 

[junior67]

Yes that is perfect just make sure to supplement with something like Nutritional yeast so they get a good amount of Niacin 1Tablespoon to each cup of food you offer them.

ok. ty so even though it is for duck it is good to give extra nutritional yeast?

 

[junior67]

it's a good thing I need to cool and mist my duck eggs since I moved the chicks out and now need to clean the incubator and get humidity back down for the next few days. Where it was up from Friday night till today should I hold off on bumping it again till I see an internal or external pip instead of doing it on day 25?

 

[Canadian Wind]

ok. ty so even though it is for duck it is good to give extra nutritional yeast?

Since niacin is water soluble it doesn't hurt.

it's a good thing I need to cool and mist my duck eggs since I moved the chicks out and now need to clean the incubator and get humidity back down for the next few days. Where it was up from Friday night till today should I hold off on bumping it again till I see an internal or external pip instead of doing it on day 25?

I wouldn't bother. Just put it back up as planned.

 

[junior67]

Since niacin is water soluble it doesn't hurt.


I wouldn't bother. Just put it back up as planned.

Thanks. I have read some horror hatch threads so I am so worried to mess it up. I think most that I read were more from people panicking that it was taking "too long" and helping too early. Think I need to try to relax and have faith in the ducklings and me. Lol. 6 more days and hopefully I will have some ducklings!!!!!

 

[Canadian Wind]

Thanks. I have read some horror hatch threads so I am so worried to mess it up. I think most that I read were more from people panicking that it was taking "too long" and helping too early. Think I need to try to relax and have faith in the ducklings and me. Lol. 6 more days and hopefully I will have some ducklings!!!!!

Exactly! My own first duck hatch was a disaster. Now, once they go into lockdown, I make a pinprick hole in the air cell part of the shell and let them do the rest. I check often to see which has internally pipped. And then periodically when they've externally pipped.

Once they start to zip, they're usually out within an hour. I won't interfere until after that.