Duckling Food and Niacin

[casportpony]

@KikisGirls has a feed comparison chart which should help.

Also you should be able to get a big bag of oats at your feed store as opposed to rolled oats from the grocery store. You'll get more bang for your buck. Several brands carry them. Something like this...

https://www.murdochs.com/products/l...urpose-feed/country-feeds-steam-crimped-oats/

I don't think adding oats to a duckling feed is a good idea.

 

[PirateGirl]

Are those labeled for "starting"?

No. I have never fed any of my chicks or ducklings "starter" feed specifically. Nor do I feed my layers "layer" feed anymore. I generally feed everyone all ages some sort of 18% all flock feed, either Purina Flock raiser or one of the others linked.

 

[PirateGirl]

I don't think adding oats to a duckling feed is a good idea.

Holderread talks of adding oats to adjust protein levels in feeds at different life stages. Depending on the feed available this is certainly an option if need be.

 

[casportpony]

No. I have never fed any of my chicks or ducklings "starter" feed specifically. Nor do I feed my layers "layer" feed anymore. I generally feed everyone all ages some sort of 18% all flock feed, either Purina Flock raiser or one of the others linked.

Purina Flock Raiser is labeled for starting ducks, but the Nutrena is not.

 

[casportpony]

Holderread talks of adding oats to adjust protein levels in feeds at different life stages. Depending on the feed available this is certainly an option if need be.

What exactly does he say about doing it for ducklings?

 

[PirateGirl]

What exactly does he say about doing it for ducklings?

I'm sorry I don't have my book on me. It's in the feeding section of Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. I can certainly look later this evening.

Here is an excerpt I found online.

https://books.google.com/books?id=o...q=holderread adding oats to duck feed&f=false

 

[Kiki]

Here is a link to my feed comparison sheet.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1upDVFXEQPK8PUIF6Sj3Bt5CUQfX1PlTEhg799sDT-qM/edit?usp=sharing

I'd like to note that not all flock raiser/all flock feeds are labeled for freshly hatched birds.
Quite a few are labeled for 6 weeks of age and up.

THE BEST THING TO DO IT READ THE FEED BAG.


The sheet has direct links to each feed bag that is listed on the sheet.

 

[PirateGirl]

Here is the comparison chart.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1upDVFXEQPK8PUIF6Sj3Bt5CUQfX1PlTEhg799sDT-qM/edit#gid=0

 

[casportpony]

Purina Flock Raiser is one that is labeled for *starting* waterfowl and chicks and it has the niacin that young waterfowl need (55 ppm).

 

[Kiki]

Purina Flock Raiser is one that is labeled for *starting* waterfowl and chicks and it has the niacin that young waterfowl need (55 ppm).

Yes it does.
It also says on to switch to Layena at 18 - 20 weeks of age.