Ducky DO'S & DON'TS

[Miss Lydia]

Can you find an all flock I def wouldn't feed egg maker to them until they are of laying age.

a lot of controversy about feeding medicated feed to water fowl I hope @casportpony is on she can explain better than I.

They use to use a coccistat that was very dangerous for water fowl to eat med feed but now they use one that isn't. can't remember the name of it though, anyway from all I have read on here it is safe to use for now while your find an all flock crumble, that is best to feed anyway they can have it from hatch till end of life with out changing all you need do is put out Oyster shell for them for calcium.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Can you find an all flock I def wouldn't feed egg maker to them until they are of laying age.

a lot of controversy about feeding medicated feed to water fowl I hope @casportpony is on she can explain better than I.

They use to use a coccistat that was very dangerous for water fowl to eat med feed but now they use one that isn't. can't remember the name of it though, anyway from all I have read on here it is safe to use for now while your find an all flock crumble, that is best to feed anyway they can have it from hatch till end of life with out changing all you need do is put out Oyster shell for them for calcium.

Thank you. I'm waiting for Kathy..

 

[Lazy Farmer]

This is the label off of the bag. I scanned it.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

 

[Miss Lydia]

Also @Ravynscroft and @Pyxis can probably explain better than me but the Amprolium is suppose to be safe.
But if you can get other feed that would be best.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Also @Ravynscroft and @Pyxis can probably explain better than me but the Amprolium is suppose to be safe.
But if you can get other feed that would be best.

​

 

[Pyxis]

View attachment 1315041

Amprolium is safe

Medicated feed used to be medicated with what they call 'sulfa' drugs, which were added to the feed in amounts that were good for chicks, BUT ducklings eat more than chicks do, so they would overdose themselves on the medication. Thus the myth that all medicated feed is unsafe for ducklings was born.

Those drugs are, for the most part, no longer used in feed today. Amprolium is totally safe. Now, they don't really need it, so if you can find a food without it it's better to feed a non-medicated because no sense in giving them a thiamine blocker that they don't need, but if you can't find a feed without it, it won't hurt them and you can feed it.

And just in case you don't want to just take my word for it, here's a quote from a veterinarian with Purina:

Hi Kathy –

The issue here is not so much one of safety as it is one of regulations. Amprolium, the medication present in our medicated chick starter, has never been approved by the FDA for use in waterfowl. Therefore, we cannot legally recommend its use for these birds. However, veterinarians have been using it very successfully off-label for years as a coccidiostat for all kinds of birds, including waterfowl.

The fear of medication for waterfowl dates back to the early days of medicated feed, when sulfa drugs were used. Waterfowl typically eat more than chickens do, so when they ate feed medicated at a concentration that was ideal for chickens, they tended to over-imbibe the medication, which was often fatal. Amprolium is not a sulfa drug and does not have that effect.

Start & Grow is formulated to meet the growth needs of baby chicks until they reach 18 weeks of age. We recommend Start & Grow for chicks and Flock Raiser for waterfowl or mixed flocks. If you feel your waterfowl need medication, consult with your vet to determine what would be best for them.

And here's a picture right out of Storey's Guide, who did testing with their own ducklings:

 

[casportpony]

X2, feeds with amprolium are fine for all waterfowl, but if they are chick feed, they don't have enough of other vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that waterfowl need.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

One thousand thank you's @Pyxis & @casportpony !
It was a temporary solution to choose said med feed. It is our hatching season and I know we will blow thru the bag quickly, so I bought that feed as a dual necessity, But after the informative insight I've received, I will switch over to the all flock for the nutritional benefits.
In regards to the title of my thread, This could easily be chalked up on the don't side.
It's strange how the sign wasn't posted when I purchased my fowl. It was the same proprietor at a later date where & when I discovered this fact at. When it was brought to my attention anyway.
Thanks again.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Might want to add niacin - brewers yeast or nutritional yeast as the chick grower won't have enough for your ducklings which by the way they are so cute!