Baby Ducks! - Questions!

[MrsKemmerlin]

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So both my chickens and ducks will lay like normal on flock raiser with the option of oyster chells when they want to munch on it... well isn't that soooo much easier than what I was making it

 

[Miss Lydia]

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I also use Flock raiser for my chickens and ducks, I buy 50lb. of pellets and 50lb. of crumbles then mix it all together so the chicks and ducklings eat the crumbles and the adults eat the pellets. I also sprinkle Brewers yeast over the ducklings food which right now is in a separate place than everyone elses. Thats a good way to give them the nician they need. I use 1 teas. to about 1/2 cup of feed. Ducks shouldn't get laying pellets till egg laying age. heres a link to some info on nician
http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html

 

[bt03]

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It's all confusing I know

Here is what we do with ducks:
Starter for 2-3 weeks then move to a flock raiser. It is easier and formulated for multiple species (chickens, ducks, turkeys, guineas, etc) than getting something for each type of bird and then having to separate everyone. I haven't needed niacin after the starter because the flock raiser (depending on the brand) and free ranging usually is sufficient enough for them. It is sometimes needed while on the starter because ducks lose more than they keep in their bodies so they need a bit more to keep a bit more, although a lot of people here have never had their ducks on it and they do just fine. Like chicks all ducklings are different and some need a bit of help while others don't.

If they are still very young when they are moved outside you may want to have them separate feed because like chicks you don't want them on layer to early because it will cause growth problems.

By the way... Welcome to the dark side

ETA: dianaross77 has the laying feed thing down perfect!

 

[MrsKemmerlin]

Just what I needed

Yall are great, thanks!

"By the way... Welcome to the dark side" - I'm starting to realize this... I've already made plans to re-do the run to be more entertaining for the duckies when they're old enough to be outside, DH just laughs and rolls his eyes

And thank you for the link, Miss Lydia! And the brewer's yeast idea!

Edited, because I'm clearly not very observant today

 

[dianaross77]

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You're welcome but that was Miss Lydia!

I think I'll use her idea too!

 

[featherfinder]

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I put some of their food in a bowl and fill it about an inch and then add water till it is moist but not complete mush and drownding in water lol. They also have dry food out in a chick feeder and water on top of that. Usually when i came home the bowl of wet food was gone to mostly gone and the dry barley touched. Now they are bigger and do fine with it dry. It took them about a week, week an a half and they were complety eating it dry.

 

[THunter]

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Your friend probably stole someone's fish bait. Some old timers around here use baby ducks for catfish bait. They say big catfish love nothing better.

You might need to name them ducks lucky.

 

[MrsKemmerlin]

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Well gracious, that just made my heart sink

Poor babies.

 

[Kschwartz]

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This is correct. As long as the medicated feed has AMPROLIUM as its medication, you are good to go. I have had no problems with it!

People need to stop saying its bad, because honestly it's not. The OLD medicated chick feed was toxic to ducks, but not anymore as long as it has amprolium.

 

[MrsKemmerlin]

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This is correct. As long as the medicated feed has AMPROLIUM as its medication, you are good to go. I have had no problems with it!

People need to stop saying its bad, because honestly it's not. The OLD medicated chick feed was toxic to ducks, but not anymore as long as it has amprolium.

I'm kind of cautious with this now though - I had them on the medicated chick starter and all of a sudden they had runny noses. Switched them to the grower/finisher and it went away

But to each his own, it could have been other factors as well - won't know unless I try it again