Laying pellets causing drakes to be sterile ?? *confused*

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:

So True!

 

[Mrs. Turbo]

the only time we mix corn in the feed is after laying season and right before show season starts to put some weight back on the birds.
We also mix a little cat food with fish meal in it all year as a supplement....like Goosedragon suggested.

 

[TK Poultry]

is the cat food thing good for all ducks?

 

[Tala]

Quote:
I don't know a dang thing about ducks except that they swim, but Purina Flock Raiser is some good feed!!! My chickens are doing WONDERFUL on it!
It's 20% protein btw and sold to "start and grow your mixed flock" It works great for layers too, if you supplement calcium separately.

Whoever told you it was crap LIED.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
I don't know a dang thing about ducks except that they swim, but Purina Flock Raiser is some good feed!!! My chickens are doing WONDERFUL on it!
It's 20% protein btw and sold to "start and grow your mixed flock" It works great for layers too, if you supplement calcium separately.

Whoever told you it was crap LIED.

I wasn't told it was worthless i just didn't know what flock raiser was and now i know "thanks" and it sounds like a very good feed thanks for the info on it.
There is a bag feed at TSC thats called "all stock" and it's i believe 14% or less it's just a basic feed for any animal.

 

[turbo]

I would just follow goosedragons advice on the feed and leave it alone. Cat food is normaly around 30% protien, so as he adviced you just top dress your feed with it, try to use cat food that has fish meal in it. We use cat food to supplement are feed for chickens, geese and call ducks...also make sure to provide grit for them. We generaly try to use feed that has meat based protien, I believe are feeding Nutrina duck grower at this time along with Nutrina layer.

Honestly you should probably try another forum if you want good call duck advice, I noticed someone directing you to a link for the British Call Duck standards on another thread. This is America and we use the ABA standard when it comes to call ducks and their colors...I would start with the call duck breeders club at www.callducks.org. Using a standard from another country is just going to confuse you...

There are a few pros lurking around here in goosedragon, and Neal G., try asking them if you have a question about waterfowl or showing poultry.

Just my opinon...

 

[Feathered Wings]

Goose dragon has got me all straitened out with the feed I'm useing 1/4 cat food made from animal by products or fish meal and putting that with the layer pellets.
I haven't really looked into the standards yet being so new to Calls i don't know if i will ever show or not but thanks for the link.

Goosedragon has given me some great advice

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I am not a pro! I have never showed a bird in my life and I don't expect to. I do think I know more about feed than the average bear.
Flock raiser is a very good all around feed but a feed aimed at only waterfowl is likely to be better. For some reason Nutrina duck raiser is not available in many areas. All the reports I have heard have been wonderfull. By all means visit the call duck breeders club website they have pictures of winers there but no standards. I have been told that the standards for type are pretty much the same in US and UK but the color names vary widely. Heck people in the US club can't even agreen on the names. Join the us club if interested , they put out some very fine newsletters which to me are worth the dues.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
I hear ya...my red flags go up when I hear anyone recommend corn as almost a straight ration for feeding anything. No offense, but I've heard too many old-timey horse traders talk like that at breakfast and I know only too well what bedlam that stuff can wreak with horses when fed in large amounts or as a "whole" ration!

I rarely use corn or scratch or scratch grains i was told by a old timer who had been raising chickens 50 yrs when i first started with chickens as he said "Corn ain't good for nothin"

He told me i could use some in the winter if i wanted but corn was worthless as a feed i have stuck by that for 8 years now.
People will call me crazy but i can tell a chicken that eats alot of corn their poop smells sweet, At my house you can't smell my chickens and thats a good sign.
My ducks now thats another story

Yes, I can use the sniffer to tell a horse that has been fed corn, sweet feed or poor quality alfalfa...the stench of their sweat just permeates! Grass fed smell nice, like freshly mowed grass.

 

[Feathered Wings]

Quote:
I rarely use corn or scratch or scratch grains i was told by a old timer who had been raising chickens 50 yrs when i first started with chickens as he said "Corn ain't good for nothin"

He told me i could use some in the winter if i wanted but corn was worthless as a feed i have stuck by that for 8 years now.
People will call me crazy but i can tell a chicken that eats alot of corn their poop smells sweet, At my house you can't smell my chickens and thats a good sign.
My ducks now thats another story

Yes, I can use the sniffer to tell a horse that has been fed corn, sweet feed or poor quality alfalfa...the stench of their sweat just permeates! Grass fed smell nice, like freshly mowed grass.

COOL

I think You and Me must have the same snoz