HELP duckling legg problems!

[anjbagley]

I had 5 healthy ducks. One quit walking, its as if its leggs are too weak. Now today another one is doing the same thing. I have to be doing something wrong for them to be fine and then stop walking. Please if anyone has any ideas let me know. They are 2 weeks old, eating turkey starter, they have a fairly big tub they are in and I try to take them out for at leat 30 minutes a day to run and play on the grass (although they dont do much moving.) Thanks for any help.

 

[M@M@2four]

I could be wrong here, but maybe it's the turkey starter? I think turket starter is medicated, which might be harmful. Sorry...hope you find out what it is!!

 

[Amiga]

How much niacin is in the turkey starter? Ducklings need more than chicks, I am not sure about what is in the turkey starter.

According to Storey's Guide, the niacin in turkey starter should be okay, but the protein is too high and that can cause leg and wing deformities. How much protein is in the feed?

 

[stumble_n_mumble]

the turkey starter sounds like its medicated. probably not good since there not turkeys. i would take them off of that. they have duck medicated but you can feed them gamebird crumbles that are nto medicated and shouldnt have an issue. just added brewers yeast or niacin to their diet. i think the turkey starter is your problem.

 

[vlapinta]

Check to see if the turket starter has niacin. If not that could be the problem. Ducks need niacin. If you start giving then niacin they could recover. Brewers Yeast has niacin. You could add it to their food. I am not sure how much though. Maybe someone else can chime in on how much

Vicki

 

[anjbagley]

Leave it to IFA to steer me in the wrong direction! Problem is now that I am back home I have limited options as to what to feed them. My local store has medicated chick starter period. Would I be better off to put them on a mix of chickstarter and a laying mix I feed my hens until I can get something else? Do they make a duck starter, what exactly do I need to find for them?

 

[Amiga]

Yes, there is a duck starter. Actually, there are a few out there. I use Nutrena Duck grower now. It has 16% protein.

Storey (yes, I quote this quite a bit) suggests some have success using 1 part chick starter, 1 part turkey starter/grower, 1/2 part uncooked oatmeal. I would also sprinkle some brewer's yeast in there.

 

[Amiga]

Do you still have the label? How much niacin is in there? What is the protein percentage?

 

[vlapinta]

I am feeding mine game bird starter crumbles. It is not medicated, and it contains niacin. It has 26% protein and as per Storey's guide to raising ducks you are supposed to start with a feed @ 20% protein. I mix 1 cup of oats to every 5 cups of feed. I mix it together and keep it in a seperate container so I can easily just fill their food bowl when they need it.

Vicki

 

[anjbagley]

I went and got my tag from the turkey starter. It says 27% protein. It doen't say how much niacin.