I need help with homemade feed

[Deborahith]

I have a very large brooder full of a dozen 4 week-old chicks, and two week old ducklings. I also have Celiac disease and very serious reactions to even the slightest exposure to gluten(wheat, barley,etc.) which is in all the commercial feeds. So when we got our chicks we began making our own feed based on this website: The Chicks and Me http://curtissannmatlock.com/2012/03/10/the-chicks-and-me-gluten-free/
All the chickens are thriving and healthy. Then we got our ducklings. We got them as day olds and housed them in a separate brooder from the chickens. We altered our chick feed to have more niacin, and gave it to the ducklings. But they don't like it. So finally my husband got some commercial feed for them and took over their care since I can't be around them now as long as the commercial feed is being used. They are a week old and doing well.
But now my husband has to go on a business trip and will be gone most of a month. The ducklings still don't like our homemade chick feed, and I get sick if I am around the commercial stuff. I have tried to google homemade ducklings food recipes I can use or modify, but have found nothing. Does anyone know where I can find something, or has anyone had success with your own homemade recipes that you would be willing to share. I could just give them the modified chick feed we give our chickens and hope that when they get hungry enough they will eat it, but they are so young and I am concerned that will stunt their growth or something.
Thanks for your help!

 

[Amiga]

I would love to find the same information!

One thought I had is that you can supplement them once a week with poultry vitamins, electrolytes and probiotics.

Another thought is try moistening the feed. The caveat with that approach is not to leave uneaten feed around after several hours to avoid mold. There is a thread somewhere around here about FF, fermented feed. My ducks like it (though I am not feeding that right now . . . ) I don't know if anyone uses that with ducklings, but I would not see why not.

 

[Carcajou]

I have a very large brooder full of a dozen 4 week-old chicks, and two week old ducklings. I also have Celiac disease and very serious reactions to even the slightest exposure to gluten(wheat, barley,etc.) which is in all the commercial feeds. So when we got our chicks we began making our own feed based on this website: The Chicks and Me http://curtissannmatlock.com/2012/03/10/the-chicks-and-me-gluten-free/
All the chickens are thriving and healthy. Then we got our ducklings. We got them as day olds and housed them in a separate brooder from the chickens. We altered our chick feed to have more niacin, and gave it to the ducklings. But they don't like it. So finally my husband got some commercial feed for them and took over their care since I can't be around them now as long as the commercial feed is being used. They are a week old and doing well.
But now my husband has to go on a business trip and will be gone most of a month. The ducklings still don't like our homemade chick feed, and I get sick if I am around the commercial stuff. I have tried to google homemade ducklings food recipes I can use or modify, but have found nothing. Does anyone know where I can find something, or has anyone had success with your own homemade recipes that you would be willing to share. I could just give them the modified chick feed we give our chickens and hope that when they get hungry enough they will eat it, but they are so young and I am concerned that will stunt their growth or something.
Thanks for your help!

I am not qualified to answer your questions though Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks has a chapter on mixing your own feed that may be useful to you.

Amiga, do you know if there is anything in the "Stickys" regarding gluten free feeds?

Best of luck, Deborahith!

 

[Learningstill]

I am inexperienced in this, but I was wondering if you are unable to touch the feed why not wear gloves, face mask and glasses while pouring it?
Also, I know wheat can be added to water, maybe this would reduce the amount of air particles. The ducks will eat the wheat right out of the bottom of the water bucket.

My heart goes out to you

Best of luck!

 

[Amiga]

I found this - http://curtissannmatlock.com/category/gluten-free-chicken-feed-2/

 

[Deborahith]

Thank you for your suggestions. I thought I'd share an update to my problem, just in case one day it proves useful to someone else. I am extremely sensitive to exposure to gluten (unfortunately) and the negative health effects last 3 months plus or minus a little bit. Risking any exposure to gluten is just not worth it, we don't even get to eat out anymore per doctors orders.

So after trying, unsuccessfully, to find an alternative recipe from your suggestions and other internet sources I decided to try peer pressure.

The ducklings at one week old are about the same size as our older chicks, who eat my homemade chick feed without any problems. I decided to try putting the ducklings in with the chickens to see if they would mimic their eating behavior. I was nervous at first that they would get hurt, especially the first day. But I stayed with them, just in case, and watched to see that no serious fighting occurred. The first day was a tense adjustment but by the middle of day two all the birds were cohabiting as if they had all hatched together. The best part is that the ducks have learned from the chicks. Prior to putting them together the ducks were timid and wouldn't eat from my hand, and were suspicious of anything new in their brooder. Within one day of being put in with the chicks, they come running to eat treats, or grain from my hand along with the chicks. They eat the chick food. And everyone seems to be getting along beautifully. I am pleasantly surprised at how well that worked. Of course now I clean the chick brooder more often in order to keep the environment dry, but my gluten problem seems to be solved. I decided to put niacin in the water since the chicks don't need as much as the ducklings, and the ducklings drink what seems to be twice as much (at least) as the chicks. I am hoping that with that arrangement everyone will get what they need without getting too much. Only time will tell, but for now everything seems to be going well.

 

[Amiga]

 

[Badhairdo980]

Good morning,

I am new at this website and was looking for homemade feed for Turkey (I have the same problem as you with Celiac) disease when I came up with your message. How are you doing with your ducks? I am using the same diet as you for the chicks "The Chicks and Me, Gluten-Free" and "Gluten Free Chicken Feed II" for my older Chickens. On top of that all my birds are free range so it helps then to get what ever is missing in their diet. They are all doing very well. I was wondering if you ever seen a gluten free feed for Turkeys?

 

[Miss Lydia]

Good morning,

I am new at this website and was looking for homemade feed for Turkey (I have the same problem as you with Celiac) disease when I came up with your message. How are you doing with your ducks? I am using the same diet as you for the chicks "The Chicks and Me, Gluten-Free" and "Gluten Free Chicken Feed II" for my older Chickens. On top of that all my birds are free range so it helps then to get what ever is missing in their diet. They are all doing very well. I was wondering if you ever seen a gluten free feed for Turkeys?

I've never even heard of gluten free feed period, very interesting.

 

[Miss Lydia]

That is so interesting just read the recipe and it is awesome someone has come up with one to help those with gluten intolerance, Bhd980 have you tried going on the Turkey thread? can turkeys not be fed this diet listed here? It may need tweaking but might be a start. Welcome to BYC!