CHICK STARTER FEED IS NOT FOR DUCK, ITS CALLED CHICK FOR A REASON.

[CelticOaksFarm]

X1000 above with the others. Please calm down and re-educate yourself. It's one thing to reccomend waterfowl starter when available , it's another thing entirely to go on a rant about disease and ignorance and feeding purina chick starter or any starter for that matter. If you pay close attention, many feed brands have two different colored bags for medicated and non medicated feeds as well.

What do you own/raise and where did you get your stock from? Have any pictures? Always like seeing others waterfowl.

 

[chicken_boy_Kurt]

Actually, medicated feed contains antibiotics. It is intended to prevent disease, but it is not the same as a vaccine. A vaccine helps an animal create an immunity to a specific virus, like the flu or chicken pox in humans. Antibiotics kill bacteria and are used to treat (or prevent) bacterial infections. One does not replace the other. That being said, I would not feed my ducks medicated feed as part of their regular diet.

Ahhh, yes. That's right. Thank you for informing me.

 

[duckyfromoz]

Quote: I have 20 adult ducks right now- and will be hatching and raising up to 300 ducklings over the next few months- Would you like a Job First Egg? According to your information I have need for people to be employed around the clock to gather earthworms, snails, sea shells, waterbugs and boil up orgain eggs for them that will have to be collected from a farm 50 klms away from where I live and crush this up a number of times per day to ensure it is fresh and not rotting due to the animal matter in it. Over the hottest months of Summer- it will have to be refrigerated to stop it going off and making the ducklings sick. I will also need to employ an animal nutritionalist to determine what else will be required to suppliment this to ensure my ducklings are healthy. As something tells me that while in the wild- ducklings may exist on this - realistically - feeding ducklings on the 5 ingredients you have listed will not provide a balanced diet either.

Alternatively- if you are not available for employment right now- I will stick to the feeding regime I have used successfully for the last 32 years of raising waterfowl. Feed manufacturers actually do ALOT of research into the needs of animals and what the best ingredients to put into a feed are to ensure a BALANCED diet and for this reason I will as always continue to feed my ducklings chick starter. While I care very much that my ducklings get a good start in life- I have to trust that the feed I buy is what is says it is- I am a single mother with a full time job- I dont have time to mix my own starter, and since I have never had an issue in 32 years related to the feed I think I might be pretty safe assuming that the feed I buy is doing what it is manufactured to do.

I am wondering what has happened for you to suddenly post such a damning report on how terrible chick feed is? Have you yourself raised a duckling on chick starter and had it die? There are countless threads on here about feed ducks and ducklings- the pros and cans of medicated feed- chick started Vs ducks or game starter and the need for suplimenting with vitamins or niacin.




Quote: You may also like to do some more research on incubating eggs to give yours the best chance at hatching. Plenty of threads on here about that too in the incubating section...

Lastly can I just say WELCOME TO BYP - it fantastic you found this place and can now receive some fantastic realistic advise on how to raise ducks. There are some very helpful people on here with years of experience and heaps of knowledge on raising waterfowl- you will learn so much form being a member here Im Sure.

 

[vettechstudent]

We are unable to find duck starter, it's not actually carried everywhere.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I have raised very healthy ducklings using CHICK starter! Shock, gasp and the horror! But I also did a bit of research to make sure I was giving the best option. Duck feed is not around here readily and the places I have found it it is quite a bit higher priced than it should.

Do I add niacin to water, yep and do I check my duckling regularly again YES but I don't feel bad about my feeding habits.

Hope to see you doing real research and thoughtful posts in the future.

 

[v.cyr]

this thread really needs a "DO NOT FEED TROLLS" sign

 

[StevenW.]

I had to start this thread because many people are under the extremely sad notion that chick starter is ok for duck. well the most obvious reason this is false is its called CHICK starter feed, and they make DUCK starter feed.. its like feeding your cat dogfood.. there's a reason its made this way people!! now if you have no knowledge, well REAL PROOF KNOWLEDGE that lazy ignorance should stand in place of facts, then don't raise anything and work on yourself. now, chick starter feed has less then 16% protein. this is good for chicks but not duck. duck needs at least 21% protein for the first two weeks. make your own starter and use it like any other. earthworms, small sea shell, snails, waterbugs, hard boiled organic eggs. you can CRUSH THESE UP and have it available for them only for the first 2 weeks. this is the best. its hardwork but trust me, your duck immune system will thank you. I mean you're raising duck and or living on a farm, there is no easy way unless u want slack results and diseases on your plate.. if u don't want to do this, BUY DUCK STARTER FEED. they have organic available, organic just means Monsanto and Dupont didn't get their genetically modified grimy hands on it and its REAL! GMOS CAUSE CANCER. but this is another topic. after u r done 2 weeks maybe sooner the ducklings may start eating other things automatically. I like using organic fresh greens and tomatos. chopped up. I don't like feeding them fake food cause I wouldn't like to eat fale cardboard food. once they're teens I like using the organic feed mixed with greens. they'll basically feed themselves afterwards. I'm working on my very first egg. since I'm off the grid, I'm using a regular lamp, box and florida humidoty n sun! at night I bring it in. I found this guy under a tree in a busy parking lot. I'm experimenting the most natural way since obviously the nest is out of the question. I live by a lake with many duck n birds. o yea, I don't agree with NOTHING MEDICATED. follow the money on these so called safe reviews. I have, usually its rumors like he says this or she says that and then its not credible. many of these claims come from the manufacturer themselves. ok Mr. DuPont, no more teflon in our pans and pots ok. yeah it got recalled so lets use the safe cancer less teflon! ***?? pyrex all the way... medicated starter is so your yield of duck grow up semi sick n in turn this gets us sick. YOU ARE WHAT U EAT. newly hatched chicks duck n birds or any mammal really, loves to over eat, please if u are going to use feed no medicated crap. give your animals a fair chance to be domesticated so u see how smart thwy really are... same goes for your kids.. happy hunting!!

I think I'm going to be sick... I'm getting really tired of these trolling viruses.. How about you educate YOURSELF first before you go and post a ranting thread on here.
Chick starter is fine for ducks because they have made it to where it is not harmful. I don't have the time to go looking for bugs and in this drought, we have no bugs or grass, that would be a hellofa time looking for them. How do your animals get the needed vitamins when they are foraging and burning calories to find something to eat?

 

[furbabymum]

I'm using flock raiser. Can't find duck starter anywhere. I've not had a duck deformity yet. Animals are tougher than most humans give them credit for.