the chick starter at our feed store is lacking in niacin and some other nutrients.. so I feed baby ducks the regular 20% Dumor chick starter from TSC.. never had any problems with bad legs since I started using it a few years ago
help feeding baby ducks
- Thread starter Lacrystol
- Start date
I was talking to a lady here and she has been raising ducks for twenty years and she has been useing chicken layer the whole time!
- Thread starter
- #13
You guys are confusing me now, Should I feed them chicken layer or not? I have plenty of layer that I could give them right now other wise I will call some more feed stores tomorrow to try and find chicken starter unmedicated. One feed store told me they have Waterfowl starter. I think that's the name.. or flock grower or something like that.. But they didn't have non medicated chicken starter.. Sorry This is the first time I have ever hatched out duck eggs. I have always hatched out chickens. Please help me understand what to feed them.. today is the 2nd day and I'm sure they are getting hungry by now, so I need to get them something...
Last edited:
I'm sure eating layer feed for a couple of days is better than not eating at all. Flock raiser would work. Waterfowl starter would be better.
As long as the "medication" in the starter is amprol/amprolium it is fine to give them. I've raised many ducklings over the years on medicated chick starter. The meds they used years ago would hurt them, but amprolium is ok.
lets make it easy on ya..
make sure the protein isn't too high
that it contains niacin in sufficient amounts
and that if it is medicated it has amprolium as the medication
(any other suggestions that I missed?)
in my opinion something made for chicks would be better than something formulated for adult birds.. but sometimes you can't get chick starter that will work
make sure the protein isn't too high
that it contains niacin in sufficient amounts
and that if it is medicated it has amprolium as the medication
(any other suggestions that I missed?)
in my opinion something made for chicks would be better than something formulated for adult birds.. but sometimes you can't get chick starter that will work
For babies use...CHICK STARTER.
~Julie
Quote:
Well just cause someone works at a feed store doesn't make them an expert on feed, I went to ours once looking for wormer for my chickens and the feed store employee told me to put bleach in their water. Best to research before going.
They told you to put bleach in their water?!
What is wrong with people!
Well just cause someone works at a feed store doesn't make them an expert on feed, I went to ours once looking for wormer for my chickens and the feed store employee told me to put bleach in their water. Best to research before going.
They told you to put bleach in their water?!
Quote:
Well just cause someone works at a feed store doesn't make them an expert on feed, I went to ours once looking for wormer for my chickens and the feed store employee told me to put bleach in their water. Best to research before going.
They told you to put bleach in their water?!
What is wrong with people!
X2
Well just cause someone works at a feed store doesn't make them an expert on feed, I went to ours once looking for wormer for my chickens and the feed store employee told me to put bleach in their water. Best to research before going.
They told you to put bleach in their water?!
X2
Lacrystol,
It can be confusing. I have read a number of posts, and there seems to be some variation in how ducklings react to different feeds. So I think that some are more sensitive to a lack of niacin, for example, than others.
I do understand that long term, too much calcium for ducklings or drakes is a problem on their internal organs. So it may not show up right away. Layer is not recommended for ducklings. In a pinch, it would be better than nothing.
Go with your intuition on the medicated chick starter question. Since I was not sure it was okay, and it was easy to find turkey/waterfowl starter crumbles, that's what I used. I also chose to follow Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks recommendation to reduce the protein from 27% to 20%. I used chopped up dry rolled oats one cup oats to 4 or 5 cups of crumbles (sprinkled a teaspoon of chick grit in to help digestion). By the way, a number of competent duck parents disagree with the philosophy of higher to lower protein percentages as the ducks grow.
A number of ducklings have nerve problems if they don't get enough niacin, which is three times the amount found in chick starter. Some duck stewards sprinkle brewer's yeast, a nutritional supplement, on ducklings' food. Some add 100 to 150 mg of niacin in capsule form to their water the first 8 or 10 weeks of their lives, especially if the ducklings begin to display signs of deficiency. Bugs and worms and such contain niacin, too.
It's a bit of an art, coming up with a feeding program that works for you and the ducklings. I hope that the various opinions, based on experience, will give you some ideas that will be helpful. As long as you observe the ducklings and make changes if they seem to have troubles, I feel that you will all be okay.
It can be confusing. I have read a number of posts, and there seems to be some variation in how ducklings react to different feeds. So I think that some are more sensitive to a lack of niacin, for example, than others.
I do understand that long term, too much calcium for ducklings or drakes is a problem on their internal organs. So it may not show up right away. Layer is not recommended for ducklings. In a pinch, it would be better than nothing.
Go with your intuition on the medicated chick starter question. Since I was not sure it was okay, and it was easy to find turkey/waterfowl starter crumbles, that's what I used. I also chose to follow Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks recommendation to reduce the protein from 27% to 20%. I used chopped up dry rolled oats one cup oats to 4 or 5 cups of crumbles (sprinkled a teaspoon of chick grit in to help digestion). By the way, a number of competent duck parents disagree with the philosophy of higher to lower protein percentages as the ducks grow.
A number of ducklings have nerve problems if they don't get enough niacin, which is three times the amount found in chick starter. Some duck stewards sprinkle brewer's yeast, a nutritional supplement, on ducklings' food. Some add 100 to 150 mg of niacin in capsule form to their water the first 8 or 10 weeks of their lives, especially if the ducklings begin to display signs of deficiency. Bugs and worms and such contain niacin, too.
It's a bit of an art, coming up with a feeding program that works for you and the ducklings. I hope that the various opinions, based on experience, will give you some ideas that will be helpful. As long as you observe the ducklings and make changes if they seem to have troubles, I feel that you will all be okay.
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