Niacin question! Help please!

[Jrbd82]

Hi! I am just getting started on my flock. I have five female and a drink. Three weeks ago Monday we hatched out our first ducklings. We got seven. I had been researching like crazy beforehand and now I feel like I am lost all over again! I ordered our Brewers east with garlic from Amazon and had seen somewhere that ducklings need one and a half tablespoons of Brewers east for one cup of food. This is what I have been doing. Halfway through the jar I found a little tiny scoop. So I read the directions… I know I know… And it says to use half a scoop per cup. I’ve also read that niacin in too high of dose can be toxic (my ducklings are fine) Sorry for the long post but after doing even more research I’m seeing that maybe I should be using nutritional yeast instead. Please help!

 

[Jrbd82]

Hi! I am just getting started on my flock. I have five female and a drink. Three weeks ago Monday we hatched out our first ducklings. We got seven. I had been researching like crazy beforehand and now I feel like I am lost all over again! I ordered our Brewers east with garlic from Amazon and had seen somewhere that ducklings need one and a half tablespoons of Brewers east for one cup of food. This is what I have been doing. Halfway through the jar I found a little tiny scoop. So I read the directions… I know I know… And it says to use half a scoop per cup. I’ve also read that niacin in too high of dose can be toxic (my ducklings are fine) Sorry for the long post but after doing even more research I’m seeing that maybe I should be using nutritional yeast instead. Please help!

I also used talk to text so please excuse some of these typos. Like calling my drake a drink

 

[MeganFair]

You’re ok!

First - what feed are you giving them? If the ducklings are on a waterfowl/all flock starter they should be ok without supplementation in the first place. If they’re on meat bird or chick starter, then they would need the extra niacin.

As for the amount you’ve been putting in, you should be ok. The supplement looks like it’s geared towards older birds, so doubling up for growing ducklings shouldn’t be a huge deal. Plus, niacin is water soluble, so the excess just passes out through urine/feces. You would have to be feeding them a great deal more niacin to cause toxicity.

Id say stick to the Brewers yeast if you need the extra niacin. Nutritional yeast tends to be more expensive, and you can totally use the brewers yeast they have at health supplement stores. You don’t have to purchase stuff specifically for ducks and chickens. And if you don’t want to mess with any of it, your local Tractor Supply usually carries All Flock starter around this time of year. I’ve even seen them carry duck specific feeds where supplementation isn’t really required.

 

[Ratchnick]

Its gonna be fine, relax!

 

[Jrbd82]

You’re ok!

First - what feed are you giving them? If the ducklings are on a waterfowl/all flock starter they should be ok without supplementation in the first place. If they’re on meat bird or chick starter, then they would need the extra niacin.

As for the amount you’ve been putting in, you should be ok. The supplement looks like it’s geared towards older birds, so doubling up for growing ducklings shouldn’t be a huge deal. Plus, niacin is water soluble, so the excess just passes out through urine/feces. You would have to be feeding them a great deal more niacin to cause toxicity.

Id say stick to the Brewers yeast if you need the extra niacin. Nutritional yeast tends to be more expensive, and you can totally use the brewers yeast they have at health supplement stores. You don’t have to purchase stuff specifically for ducks and chickens. And if you don’t want to mess with any of it, your local Tractor Supply usually carries All Flock starter around this time of year. I’ve even seen them carry duck specific feeds where supplementation isn’t really required.

Thank you!!