Ducky DO'S & DON'TS

[Ravynscroft]

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:



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

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.

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!

X2 on all this!!

But if you switch to Purina Flock Raiser, it *should* have everything your ducklings need, without additives... I would still get Brewers Yeast/nutritional yeast (NOT baking yeast) to have on hand *just in case*... a few times the formula for the flock raiser wasn't correct and ducklings had issues...

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

X2 on all this!!

But if you switch to Purina Flock Raiser, it *should* have everything your ducklings need, without additives... I would still get Brewers Yeast/nutritional yeast (NOT baking yeast) to have on hand *just in case*... a few times the formula for the flock raiser wasn't correct and ducklings had issues...

Flock raiser is what I am using. But, is the protein too high to use straight without cutting in other grains after the 3rd week? I just want to make sure my ducklings are not getting too much during growing and end up with angel wing.

 

[casportpony]

Flock raiser is what I am using. But, is the protein too high to use straight without cutting in other grains after the 3rd week? I just want to make sure my ducklings are not getting too much during growing and end up with angel wing.

The protein in flock raiser is not too high for ducklings of any age.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

The protein in flock raiser is not too high for ducklings of any age.

Ok. I know that I keep getting told this, but there is so much conflicting information. Thanks!

 

[Flockandfowl46]

Well I'll try to keep it short which is next to impossibleI started years ago with chickens and rare breeds then about five years ago we moved and bought a mini farm my new neighbor had ducks and geese and had 2 duckling eggs that were abandoned on the nest by the hen when my neighbor went to throw the nest out she noticed 2 of the eggs peeping well I was a vet tech for 15 years so she called me in a panic and asked if I would take them and help them out of the egg me with sucker written all over my forehead said I would try...so some quick research a spray bottle and a slow amount of picking later I had 2 baby ducklings on my hands and totally unprepared so I threw them in a box with a heating pad an headed to TSC from that day forward I've been hooked lol...now I have a flock of 10,4 in the broader currently and 10 eggs in the incubator and I love my chickens but they have taken a back seat so be careful they are addictive. Their personalities far outweigh the occasional messiness and so fun just to sit and watch for hours

Sorry got posted in wrong thread

 

[Ravynscroft]

Flock raiser is what I am using. But, is the protein too high to use straight without cutting in other grains after the 3rd week? I just want to make sure my ducklings are not getting too much during growing and end up with angel wing.

The protein in flock raiser is not too high for ducklings of any age.

X2

I feed flock raiser strictly from hatch to lay... too high of protein would be much higher, like 28%, safe levels is actually a range so no worries...

In my experience, angel wing is actually more caused by genetics than feed... and not all that looks like angel wing is...

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

X2

I feed flock raiser strictly from hatch to lay... too high of protein would be much higher, like 28%, safe levels is actually a range so no worries...

In my experience, angel wing is actually more caused by genetics than feed... and not all that looks like angel wing is...

Thanks!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

X2 on all this!!

But if you switch to Purina Flock Raiser, it *should* have everything your ducklings need, without additives... I would still get Brewers Yeast/nutritional yeast (NOT baking yeast) to have on hand *just in case*... a few times the formula for the flock raiser wasn't correct and ducklings had issues...

Thank you for your responses and wonderful insight.

Sorry got posted in wrong thread

All are welcome to post within this thread. If you are quoting this as the wrong thread, this is actually the correct thread. Thanks for that really cool introduction story.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

A little music to go with this afternoon's pictorial.

 

[Ravynscroft]

A little music to go with this afternoon's pictorial.

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Pekins? I would definitely get some brewers yeast/nutritional yeast or Niacin on hand *just in case*... they sometimes need higher Niacin amounts than other breeds due to how fast and big they grow...