I have no idea what I am doing

[shawluvsbirds]

Well I have trouble finding what I want too. But I will tell you one of my first hatch got Angel wing and they were eating a flock raiser that was only 16 percent I think. . . only one had it the other two were fine and they were eating the same thing. The second round I fed a crumble feed that is actually for meat birds but it says from hatch to lay for ducks chickens and other poultry. It is 22 percent and I had no problems. I'm feeding them all that same feed now except duck and Jane get layer pellets cause that's what the previous owner fed them and they don't like the crumble too much. I really don't think the protein has that much to do with it. It seems to me they eat less with the higher protein feed.
I'm pretty sure rav. told me she doesn't even use chic starter at all anymore.

 

[Tlmcq]

I bury it straight down from base about 6 inches into the ground. You do not have to take it out ward from base. Just so if they start to dig under they hit wire/hardware cloth, which prevents then from getting inside under it. And flock raiser is fine for ducks. I give mine 18% because it's all I can find, but once they are few weeks old they can go off the starter. A lot of people never use chick starter for ducks. And only use flock raiser or an all flock feed.

 

[Ravynscroft]

Ok I need some help yet again. I need to change Lucky's food. I was giving her dumore chick starter grower 20% protein. It's just too hard to find and my local store carries the purina brand. I thought I was told to use purina flock raiser but the people in the store said to use start & grow and insisted they give it to all of their baby ducks. Now I'm trading the bag and it says purina flock raiser for duck and geese. The girl in the store said it has too much protein and be careful if angel wing which is why they use the start & grow. What should I do?

Purina Flock Raiser has 20% protein, same as the chick starter you have been giving... and it doesn't stink like duMor does, lol... don't even discuss it with them, just go in and buy the Purina Flock Raiser, Lucky will be just fine with it...

I'm pretty sure rav. told me she doesn't even use chic starter at all anymore.

Exactly!!

I feed Purina Flock Raiser from hatch to lay for ALL my birds, ducks and chickens alike... I dunno about y'all, but I think they look pretty darn healthy to me, lol...

 

[Tlmcq]

@Ravynscroft all look beautiful and healthy to me too!

 

[Ravynscroft]

@Ravynscroft all look beautiful and healthy to me too!

Thank you! I love them all, but my Calls are dearest to me... I won't ever recommend something I don't or won't use on or for them myself...

 

[Steven Mazzo]

Purina Flock Raiser has 20% protein, same as the chick starter you have been giving... and it doesn't stink like duMor does, lol... don't even discuss it with them, just go in and buy the Purina Flock Raiser, Lucky will be just fine with it...



Exactly!!

I feed Purina Flock Raiser from hatch to lay for ALL my birds, ducks and chickens alike... I dunno about y'all, but I think they look pretty darn healthy to me, lol...

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So I shouldn't worry about the 20% protein and angel wing?

 

[shawluvsbirds]

So I shouldn't worry about the 20% protein and angel wing?

Nope. I wouldn't. I know when you research it you read a lot about high protein being the cause. . but pretty much everyone I've talked to here has had no experience with that causing Angel wing. And my own experience convinced me as well. My bird that had Angel wing actually got better after I switched everyone to the 22 percent protein feed.
We did wrap her for a few nights in a row to try and correct it but one side was still sticking up a bit.
We decided not to wrap her anymore and just live with it cause we felt bad for her being wrapped up every night she hated it so bad.
It looks better now than it did and haven't done anything else besides change feed.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I really don't even understand why they say it's caused by too much protein when the worst cases of it seems to be in parks and places where people feed the wild ducks a lot of bread. . bread doesn't have protein! I can understand the too high *calorie* and the aspect of birds filling up on bread and not getting enough of what they need because of that. But wouldn't that seem to be a lack of protein not too much!
Just don't let lucky share your coffee and doughnuts with you every morning and you'll be just fine! Lol

 

[Steven Mazzo]

I really wish I could just relax and enjoy her but all I do is worry about her. I think I am more affraid for myself, God forbid anything ever happens to her I don't know what I would do. It's amazing just how much you can love another creature in such a short period of time. It's so silly I know she is a duck but she is my baby and every day mike and I look at her and love her even more. She is such a precious gift

 

[Tlmcq]

New studies into angel wing by vet at University of Tennessee point to it being caused by too much of specific carbohydrates and lack of vitamin absorption from feeding bread and popcorn to young birds. It caused the heavier flight feathers to grow too fast and the muscles not being strong enough yet to support the extra weight.