duck and geese feeds

[stanfel2]

Hi I'm just wondering everyones preference on feeding there ducks and geese through different stages I'm getting mixed answers talking to people at farm&fleet and even two different books say opposite things my ducks are 2weeks and I'm giving them a meat producer 20-21% protein and afraid they will develop issues but was told it had desired amount of niacin and I'm raising khaki Campbell, harlequin, ancona ducks and pair of African geese and they are meant to be pets and egg producers please help!!!!

 

[Going Quackers]

I use a flock raiser with mine, it's an 18%... i like it because it's all stages, and is all type. I have raised many ducklings on it and found it fine. That said, it does depend on what is available to you, Storey's guide to ducks has good info on % for the different stages.

 

[stanfel2]

Ya that's what I have been referring to and it suggest adding oatmeal uncooked has anyone done this just worried they will grow too fast and thanks for post where do u find flock raiser who is it made by??

 

[Going Quackers]

I have never added anything, mine is by Purina, i get it at a feed mill.

 

[stanfel2]

oh ok we have a tractor supply will call them just one of my khaki Campbells has a under bite a clear liquid bubbling out her nostrils so afraid that what she is eating now will just make it worse I know it was niacin deficiency but not sure how to correct it now if possible

 

[stanfel2]

I bought flock raiser by purina at tractor supply and also bought rolled oats which was suggested in storey's guide to raising ducks

 

[LightningTFarm]

With my small ducklings, I used at first a 20% protein flock raiser with oatmeal added in as recommended in the Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. At the appropriate age I transitioned down to a lower percentage protein feed, as I was not raising them as fast-growing meat ducks but rather as egg-laying ducks. Just follow the advice in the book, add niacin to the water, and you will be fine. For the first few weeks I also added an electrolyte solution to the water. The niacin capsules my daughter found for me had to be opened and divided into three portions, each of which was then added to 1 gallon of water. I saved gallon milk jugs and washed and rinsed them well, then filled three at a time with water, niacin powder and electrolytes. Then I would use the water from the gallon jugs to fill the waterers in the brooder.

When the ducklings were older I moved from old-fashioned oatmeal to rolled oats from the feed store, and then a while later to whole oats. I got the information below on how to calculate protein percentages when mixing food from this site. I am no math wizard, but this was easy for me to do. Don't panic - people have been raising ducks for centuries, even when they couldn't read or run down to the feed store for pre-mixed feed. Good luck!

How to mix feed when protein % is too high​

A=grain %

? parts of wheat

B= protein desired

C= feed %

? parts of feed

Fill in the spaces:
-A is the protein % of the grain you will use to mix with your feed
-B is the desired protein % you want your final mix to be
-C is the protein % of your feed

​

Example
To make a 16% feed mixing a 24% protein feed and wheat which is 10% protein.
10% protein (wheat)

? parts of wheat

16% protein desired

24% protein feed

? parts of feed

Subtract the smaller number from the larger on each diagonal 16-10=6 and 24-16=8

​

10% protein (wheat)

8 parts wheat

16% protein desired

24% protein feed

6 parts of feed

Now, divide the parts of each by the total number of parts and multiply by 100.
8 parts + 6 parts= 14 total parts
6 divided by 14 = .428 X 100= 42.8 round up 43 (feed needed)
8 divided by 14 = .571 X 100= 57.1 round down 57 (wheat needed)
Mix 43 parts (cups) of 24% protein feed and 57 parts (cups) of 10% protein wheat to get a 16% feed. Doesn't have to be cups...as long as ratio is 43:57

One may mix to any desired % by replacing the 16% with with the amount of protein one wished to produce. There are various grains one may use to mix with. Get the protein % of the grain to determine if it will be suitable.

Sample few listed:

• soft wheat-10%
• wheat middlings- 16%
• wheat bran-15%
• sorghum (milo)-8.9%
• oats-11%
• corn 8.8%

 

[Going Quackers]

You don't need to add niacin if your using a flock raiser or a duck feed that is for when your using chick starter as it's lacking for the raising of ducks.