HELP duckling legg problems!

[19hhbelgian]

Quote:
Funny that it mentions oatmeal... I have my ducklings in with the chicks, so they eat the chick starter. BUT, I also give them oatmeal as a treat. They LOVE it. You will never see a duckling run so fast for anything like they do for oatmeal... It's their absolute favorite so very easy to feed

 

[anjbagley]

Oatmeal, like regular old buy at the grocery store oatmeal?

 

[Amiga]

Forgive my pressing

does it contain B3? Nicotinic acid? These are other names for niacin. If there is no niacin in that feed, I would get some niacin supplements into their water ASAP

 

[vlapinta]

Amiga I am using Nutrina game bird starter crumbles and as I said above, I mix 1 cup of oats to every 5 cups of feed. It has 27% protein. It does contain niacin but it doesn't say the amount. Do you think I should add brewers yeast? If so, how much?

Vicki

 

[anjbagley]

Okay, new here. What is a niacin supplement I can put in the water. I read every ingredient no mention of niacin in any form.

 

[Amiga]

anjbagley, Oatmeal, like the old fashioned with the Quaker on the label - not instant, nothing fancy, not steel cut, just old-fashioned rolled oats.

From Storey (Dave Holderread): Ducklings exhibiting symptoms of a niacin deficiency can often be cured by the immediate addition of 100 to 150 mg of niacin per gallon of drinking water until they are 8 to 10 weeks old.

He goes on to clarify that he is just talking about regular niacin supplements that can be purchased at a drugstore.

Vicki,

I gave the ducklings Vitamins and Electrolytes Plus several times during their first month. You could put a light sprinkle of brewer's yeast, or just give them vitamins once a week. This is where it feels more like art than science. If they don't tell you how much, it is tough to figure out. I suppose you could check online or see if there is customer service that could tell you.

(edited to clarify to whom I was writing)

 

[vlapinta]

What about mixing gaterade in with their water a couple of times a week? Would that be OK?

Vicki

 

[dieselgrl48]

I Always use Basic NON medicated chick starter for ducks.Some higher protien feed's can cause "angel wing's In geese and some duckling's and medicated feed's can be toxic to duck's.I never use any gamebird feed for duckling's anymore.I have never seen actual Duck grower food here.Have never tried the oatmeal treat that sounds like something that would be good to fill them up and all natural.

 

[vlapinta]

All the feed stores here in NJ carry Nutrena. I called the company and they said for ducklings feed the game bird starter crumbles.

Vicki

 

[Amiga]

Vicki, there is too much sodium and sugar in Gatorade for their little bodies to process.

Wheat germ has niacin, but I am not sure if there are counterindications to giving it to ducklings. They get niacin from bugs, so I wonder if (have you nerves of steel?) if crickets (which can be purchased at some pet stores) might be a boost for them. Of course, there is the issue of where you would feed them. The bathtub, I think . . . .

Just a sliver of a niacin supplement tablet in their water once a week might be a reasonable boost. Again, if we don't know the baseline, it is tough to know how much to supplement.

If your ducklings show no symptoms, proceed with caution.