Duck food

[rsteffen9663]

Hello,
I have two growing baby ducks. I have them in with the baby chicks and they all eat the same food, the Chick Starter. Is this food alright to feed ducklings? It doesn't appear to be harming them and they are all growing like a weed. Thanks

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

Chick starter should be just fine, except that your ducklings do need more Niacin than the chickens... So you can supplement that thru the water with the Flush Free caps -or- a premeasured powder like Sav-A-Chick. Or Brewer's Yeast.

Now just to let you know, there is a great deal of controversy on medicated or not. I always chose NONmedicated, but from everything I have read, as long as the feed is fresh and in accordance to today's standards, either is ok. But whatever you choose there, get your ducklings some Niacin. They need it.

 

[dheltzel]

Chick starter should be just fine, except that your ducklings do need more Niacin than the chickens... So you can supplement that thru the water with the Flush Free caps -or- a premeasured powder like Sav-A-Chick. Or Brewer's Yeast.

Now just to let you know, there is a great deal of controversy on medicated or not. I always chose NONmedicated, but from everything I have read, as long as the feed is fresh and in accordance to today's standards, either is ok. But whatever you choose there, get your ducklings some Niacin. They need it.

The controversy is because Amprollium, the coccidistat in most medicated starter, works by inhibiting the uptake of Niacin. That's ok for chicks because they don't need much (still good to give followup vitamins to chicks), but it's very bad for ducklings.

 

[Speceider]

The controversy is because Amprollium, the coccidistat in most medicated starter, works by inhibiting the uptake of Niacin. That's ok for chicks because they don't need much (still good to give followup vitamins to chicks), but it's very bad for ducklings.

It is a thiamin blocker, not niacin.

Clint

 

[dheltzel]

It is a thiamin blocker, not niacin.

Clint

Oh, right. I get my B vitamins mixed up. I still think the fact that the med works by blocking a vitamin and ducks are heavy feeders, getting a lot of that, has something to do with the supposed toxicity.

I feed medicated to my chicks all the time, but will not feed it to any ducklings.

 

[Speceider]

Thiamin requirements for ducklings and chicks is the same. The idea that ducklings eat more than chicks is false, they appear to eat more because their growth rate is much higher, so the amount they eat per gm body mass is similar.

Clint

 

[Mashallaharabia]

I have never had a sick duckling and I never feed medicated feed. Dumor duck starter and growing feed, then adult duck chow pellets, oyster shell, grit ( those two in separate bowls), wilted salad greens, and all the grass, snails, slugs, mice, weeds, insects, and such that they forage for themselves. They get all the vitamins they need from this natural foraging. I don't see any need for me to feed any niacin etc.supplements at all, other than the grit they need, and my ducks are all healthy and active, and laying heavily.

 

[CHchickie86]

I used medicated chick starter for the first 2 weeks for my mixed flock (9 chicks and 4 ducks), I then switched to Flock Raiser. My flocks is now 7 weeks old and doing amazing.

 

[Strader]

shall I use Non-medicated chick food for my new duckling that I'm adding to my brooder which has (14) 1 week old chicks? duckling is being born right now.
I used medicated food for my chicks this last week.

 

[Mashallaharabia]

Absolutely use NON MEDICATED food for ducks!