Manna Pro Non-Medicated Chick Starter * says its good for ducks, chicks and goslings but does NOT li

[duckiesrule]

So, I picked up Manna Pro's Non-Medicated Chick Starter because it was a) non-medicated which I read is best for ducks, and b) says its good for ducks. Then I was reading further about vitamin deficiency problems in ducks and it mentioned that they need a specific amount of niacin, which is apparently a widespread fact about ducks. However, the bag nor the website lists niacin as an essential ingredient of the feed.

Does anyone have experience with this feed? My ducklings will be a week old tomorrow and I don't want them to have a deficiency in niacin. I was going to go and buy some from the drugstore tomorrow and add the powder to their food, is this the best way to overcome the deficiency in the feed?


nutritional info for the feed:
http://www.mannapro.com/products/poultry/poultry-starter/nutritional-information/

 

[Amiga]

I see that they list it, but not how much. You could contact the manufacturer, other than that, brewer's yeast sprinkled on food or 100 to 150 mg of niacin per gallon of water till they are about 10 weeks old should be okay.

 

[duckiesrule]

Yeah, I was refering to the lack of amount listed. I guess I can call them, but I've read reports of incorrect amounts being listed versus included ... If there were to be niacin in the food and then I gave them more, is there a possibility of giving them too much?

 

[Amiga]

I do not know of niacin overdosing, and at the same time, I agree you want to be careful. You could go with half the suggested amounts of niacin supplement if you are concerned, but I suppose there comes a point when you decide to trust what the manufacturer says, or you don't and then you end up winging it, going with your instincts.

 

[duckiesrule]

I called Manna Pro and they said that the niacin supplement included in the ingredient list is "plenty" for ducks. Since my ducks seem strong and healthy at 1 week old, I will believe them.

 

[Going Bhonkers]

I use Manna Pro Trip-L-Duty, and was concerned about Niacin as well as the protein level. The feed store I go to sells it quantities of 40 lbs (i think?) and 5 lbs. Having only 2 geese, I opted for the 5lb bags, except the store has them with in brown paper bags, so no ingredient list for me to read!
I was going to change for the more expensive Mazuri feed, but read that as long as my little guys get a lot of grass, they'd be okay. I did supplement their water with a sprinkle of vitamins daily, just in case. At 7 weeks old, my little geese are doing fine.