Duckling question!

[Sricher91]

We just got our chicks/ducklings in the mail and the paper they came with said for the first few meals add in boiled egg yolk to help them find the food.

Is this for ducklings too or just the chicks? It doesn’t specify!


Also can I use nutritional yeast instead of brewers yeast for ducks?

 

[TheTwoRoos]

I wouldn’t use the egg method at all,mainly because I have never heard it,and no if you do decide to use it they ducks can eat boiled eggs.The chicks need grit if your gonna feed them treats such as eggs,which is why I just wouldn’t even waste my time with it.

 

[beccaWA]

First off, I hope you do not have medicated chick feed, because it will kill ducklings! Only non-medicated feed. Also, the point of the brewer's yeast is for a source of niacin for ducklings. Ducklings need niacin (not enough in chick feed) to keep from not growing right and getting leg abnormalities. I just bought cheap, non-flush niacin capsules (so I could take them apart) and mixed 100 mgs. with one gallon of water. Do NOT get the time release niacin! I would actually keep the chicks and ducklings separate, if you can for a couple reasons. One being the extra niacin (although I've not noticed that it hurt the chicks.) The other being that ducklings grow WAY faster than chicks and are messy. Just easier to have separate areas. Good luck and have fun!

 

[Sricher91]

My chicks and ducks are separate, I never said they were together... and yes my chicks get medicated feed and my ducklings get normal feed.

 

[TheTwoRoos]

If so,then why were you concerned about giving the ducks eggs?

 

[PirateGirl]

Ducks and chickens can both eat eggs, be sure they have chick sized grit available. Nutritional yeast or brewers yeast is fine, just not baker's yeast (it's different). If you start with the feed just on a plate (vs. a bowl) it will be easy for them to find because it will be down at their level, plus you can pick them up and put the chicks right on the plate to show them the food and they can easily get on and off.

 

[Sricher91]

If so,then why were you concerned about giving the ducks eggs?

The instructions that came with ALL the birds said to give egg to them. I was asking if it meant for the chicks and the ducks or just the chicks. I’m not sure how else to put that??

 

[Sricher91]

Ducks and chickens can both eat eggs, be sure they have chick sized grit available. Nutritional yeast or brewers yeast is fine, just not baker's yeast (it's different). If you start with the feed just on a plate (vs. a bowl) it will be easy for them to find because it will be down at their level, plus you can pick them up and put the chicks right on the plate to show them the food and they can easily get on and off.

Yeah we’ve had them quite a few hours at this point and they’ve all eaten and found the food and water. Thank you!

 

[Sricher91]

Ducklings

 

[Sricher91]

Chicks