Confused re duckling food?

[Dees ducks]

Hello all, I'm hoping to hatch some Cayuga ducklings next week - at the moment they are "cooking nicely". I'm really confused as to what to feed them after 3 weeks up until laying stage at about 20 weeks. I've read that it should be a growers pellet with 16-18% protein but isn't layer feed the same at about 16% protein? Can anyone tell me what the difference is? If I do need to buy a special growers pellet anybody recommend a specific brand?
Hopefully will get some Cayugas hatching and will post pics but as this is my first time I'm not holding my breath!

 

[CayugaJana]

What do you feed your other ducks right now? I don’t worry about changing percent proteins at specific time frames. I would go for purina all flock (20%) or nutrena nature wise until they are laying age. @shawluvsbirds what percent is nutrena? I can’t remember.

 

[chickens really]

I feed starter till 5 weeks then Grower/Finisher. I never switch to layer. Once laying I provide oyster shell in a separate dish.

 

[Miss Lydia]

To keep from having to buy different stages of feed why not just get an all flock Purina Flock Raiser is one and I am pretty sure other brands carry an all flock also, it comes in crumble and you can start them off on it and feed it their entire lives and just place oyster shell out in a separate bowl once you start getting eggs, makes it so much easier. Exciting look forward to seeing your ducklings

 

[CrystaBub]

To keep from having to buy different stages of feed why not just get an all flock Purina Flock Raiser is one and I am pretty sure other brands carry an all flock also, it comes in crumble and you can start them off on it and feed it their entire lives and just place oyster shell out in a separate bowl once you start getting eggs, makes it so much easier. Exciting look forward to seeing your ducklings

And really like your new avatar Miss Lydia!

 

[casportpony]

As others have already said, see if you can find some Purina Flock Raiser:
https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-flock-raiser-crumbles

 

[Lynxfire]

I was going to switch to that 20% All Flock but I read that 20% is too high for drakes (mine are not meat birds). Do they grow much bigger on it? My boys are huge enough and have already began injuring my gals. I am struggling on the food decision and honestly my gals aren't eating the oyster shell unless we trick them with mealworms in it then the boys sneak over to it.

 

[PaulX]

As chickens really and Miss Lydia have implied, the main difference between layer feed and other kinds of feed is what can be supplemented with oyster shells, i.e. calcium. Laying birds need the extra calcium to produce all those egg shells. Non-laying birds getting that much calcium... could develop some joint or kidney problem.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

What do you feed your other ducks right now? I don’t worry about changing percent proteins at specific time frames. I would go for purina all flock (20%) or nutrena nature wise until they are laying age. @shawluvsbirds what percent is nutrena? I can’t remember.

I start all of mine with the Nutrena naturewise meat bird I believe is 22% protein. It meets the requirements for ducklings. .then I switch to the all flock at around 6 or 7 weeks. It used to be 18% protein but now it is 20% I don't know why they changed it, but everyone seems to be doing fine on it. I feed oyster shell on the side.
They don't go after the oyster shell like crazy or anything but they do eat it off and on. I think their body tells them when they need it

 

[Miss Lydia]

And really like your new avatar Miss Lydia!

Thank you a very special dear friend gave that too me