Another niacin question!

[Tor7039]

Hi everyone! I feel like a broken record but I have a niacin question.

I got 4 ducklings 4 days ago and didn’t realize I was supposed to add niacin to food or water. One of my ducklings flopped over last night and couldn’t get up on its own. It seems to be an isolated issue but I ended up looking it up and read it could be niacin deficiency. I feel like a terrible duck owner because I left out the niacin! I have niacin at my house but it’s the flush free version of course and I can’t seem to find Brewers yeast or plain niacin without shipping being 5 days out due to coronavirus. I’m worried to wait that long. I saw on GNC website they had niacin and it didn’t look like it said anything about time release or flush free. Would that be okay? I just seem to keep running into flush free niacin it’s driving me crazy!

 

[Tor7039]

Or if I just gave them Purina flock raiser crumbles is that sufficient? Or would they still need niacin added?

 

[DucksOhio]

I’m sure you are not a terrible pet owner, lol.

Your ducklings are quite young. Did the hatchery that you got them from (if you got them from a hatchery) provide a supplement of electrolytes?

Last year, one of my ducklings fell over a couple of times at a very early stage, but she is a robust monster now.

 

[Tor7039]

Haha I just feel so bad I haven’t been giving them niacin!
We got them from Tractor Supply Company and they didn’t provide a supplement of electrolytes. I noticed they’re sitting a lot when eating and drinking too. I feel like the first day or two I had them they were constantly going back and forth from food to water. Now I feel like I’m just being paranoid but I really want to avoid niacin deficiency

 

[DuckyDonna]

Ok this is an easy fix. Go to Tractor Supply and get some Durvet B-complex. The bottles looks like the picture, $16.99. They changed the label so it will look like one or the other. It says injectable but you will put some on some treats that you know they will eat right up. All your ducklings can have it but that one especially needs it.

If you are giving them extra treats other than their duck food be sure to set a little bowl of "chick grit" on the side for them. Do NOT mix it in with their food. They will eat it when they need it. They just instinctively know when that it. Just buy the little bag because soon they will be outside and eating lots of dirt and won't need it anymore.

I love TSC, I really do, but they don't know jack about ducks or ducklings so whatever they tell you take with a grain of salt. See if you can get them to order some Purina Duck Pellets for you. This is something that is good for them from hatch through like. If you have girls all you have to add is oyster shells once they start laying eggs.

 

[Tor7039]

Ok this is an easy fix. Go to Tractor Supply and get some Durvet B-complex. The bottles looks like the picture, $16.99. They changed the label so it will look like one or the other. It says injectable but you will put some on some treats that you know they will eat right up. All your ducklings can have it but that one especially needs it.
View attachment 2147609
If you are giving them extra treats other than their duck food be sure to set a little bowl of "chick grit" on the side for them. Do NOT mix it in with their food. They will eat it when they need it. They just instinctively know when that it. Just buy the little bag because soon they will be outside and eating lots of dirt and won't need it anymore.

I love TSC, I really do, but they don't know jack about ducks or ducklings so whatever they tell you take with a grain of salt. See if you can get them to order some Purina Duck Pellets for you. This is something that is good for them from hatch through like. If you have girls all you have to add is oyster shells once they start laying eggs.
View attachment 2147616

Perfect! Thank you so much for this information. What are some good treats to feed them at their age? Which is almost a week old.

 

[Isaac 0]

This has all the info you need, as well as safe treats.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[Isaac 0]

They should have grit when eating anything other than feed.

 

[DuckyDonna]

Perfect! Thank you so much for this information. What are some good treats to feed them at their age? Which is almost a week old.

I usually have a hatch about the first of June so its nice and warm and we have watermelon. I cut some up really small for the little bitty ducklings last year and put the b-complex on it. It was like they vacuumed it up. It was gone in seconds so I knew that they got all the B into their little systems. You could do tomatoes too. @Isaac 0 has a good link for you to look at as well. Oh and meal worms. I got one of those little yellow balls that they have at TSC for about $5. You put the meal worms in it and it's hysterical watching them chase that little ball all around their brooder. It's amazing how fast they learned that there were treats inside of it. My little bowl of chick grit you can see on the side.

 

[Tor7039]

This has all the info you need, as well as safe treats.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

This was very helpful! Thank you so much!