How much Brewer's Yeast should I give to my ducklings?

[ejctm]

I am raising my 4 runner ducklings on unmedicated chick starter currently - they are only a few days old. I have bought some Brewer's Yeast but don't know how much to add. For now, I have added half a teaspoonful into their bowl of food, but it is difficult to know how much food to give them as they are eating more every day, also a lot of food gets spoiled and thrown away too.
Don't want to under or over dose them.


Any advice?

Thanks

 

[duckyfromoz]

Here is a link to a site that gives the nutritional needs of ducklings.

http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/livestock/poultry/feeding/nutritional-requirements-ducks

Check it against what you are feeding them- they may be eating enough food to be getting the daily requirement without the need to supplement. I only give my newly hatched duckling vitamin powder in their water for the first day or so while they are gaining their strength- as the feed I use is manufactured to be a complete diet. You may need to weigh the food to work out how much they actually consume in a day. Duckling can tend to eat more than chickens- who have a lower niacin requirement- so by eating more- they do get the required daily requirement in alot of cases.

Edited to add link... Sorry...

 

[ejctm]

Thanks Duckyfromoz, but couldn't find the link!

Since the chick starter is really for chickens, I thought I had to supplement it for the ducks. I see what you are saying, but it would be impossible to know how much each duck is eating. I have to put out more than I think they will eat so they always have food available and don't run out. Also mummy hen is being fed on their food at the moment too, as I don't think the ducklings should have access to layers pellets just yet!

 

[T Hi]

My 5 runners are about 11 weeks old now. I have been giving them powdered brewers yeast since they were a week old. I used one of those plastic quart sized poultry feeders at first. I took an old pie pan and used it for mixing the food and grit and yeast together. I added 3/4 teaspoon of yeast to the pie pan. Even as they got bigger I still used the pie pan to help me measure and mix. It usually took 4 pie pans full to fill their next sized feeder! So to every pie pan I added 3/4 teaspoon of yeast no matter how many pans it takes to fill the feeder.

Well now that they are outside and have a 22lb feeder hanging in their run I don't use the pans anymore but every 3 scoops of food (that's about how much a pan held) I add about 3/4 teaspoon of yeast.

Oh by the way I have been feeding mine the Purina Flock Raiser feed!

Hope this helps a bit!! Have fun with your babies! They grow up fast!

 

[StormyMoon]

Do they need all this if they are free ranging and appear to be plump? I have 1 Pekin drake and 1 Rouen Drake when I read this it made me wonder.
They free range as often as they please they are never locked up not even at night. Would I still need to add more to their diet?

 

[The Best Duck]

I read that you should give brewers yeast in 5% ratio.
My ducklings are almost four weeks and i'm still feeding them it.
Yougive them brewers yeast for niacin, which helps there bones develop properly because they grow so fast.

 

[SandyM]

I read that you should give brewers yeast in 5% ratio.
My ducklings are almost four weeks and i'm still feeding them it.
Yougive them brewers yeast for niacin, which helps there bones develop properly because they grow so fast.

I love this site!! Any question I pop into Google about chickens or ducks brings me here.

So of course I'm enquiring about Brewers Yeast for the ducklings arriving on Tuesday. Did you use 5% from day old ?

I plan to use some ACV in their water and probiotics as well.

Thanks! Sandy

 

[Amiga]

Nice thing about brewer's yeast is it has a number of B vitamins that help development, including development of the nervous system - really nice since most of us can only find chick starter.

Many ducklings don't show signs of B deficiencies, but many do, so I feel it is a good precautionary practice.