I was told...

[thedoors5to1]

i've heard medicated food is bad for ducks and ducklings because they eat so much, technically they over eat, and if they over eat, they are essentially getting a high dose of medication, and if that continues long enough you would see problems.
feed with medication in it nowadays has meds that are safe for most birds, im pretty sure they switched drugs and the overdose/overeatting problem was solved.

 

[atarunomiko]

Quote:
I second this explanation.

Another possibility: most medications approved by the FDA for use with chickens are not approved for duck or goose use. There are very few antibiotics, for example, approved for ducks and none for geese. It doesn't mean they're unsafe per se, but just that because ducks and geese aren't nearly as popular as chickens in this country, no one has bothered to put up the money or spend the time necessary to do the research to get their product approved for waterfowl. Furthermore, ducks and geese are less prone to illness than chickens and tend to need medication less often in the first place. I suppose it has to do with needing a higher body temperature to help stay warm in water, and because they need to be stronger to resist waterborne illness.

I personally choose not to medicate any of my birds preventatively, because that is how we end up with superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics and such. The only thing I hear is safe to use preemptively is medications for cocci. I prefer to do things the natural way, by feeding them yogurt and raw ACV (unpasteurized apple cider vinegar), so that they build up their own immunity.