My feed and grit woes.....

[Olamina]

Okay so I feel like I need to have a mini rant before I progress onwith my issue/questions but I feel it's GROSSLY IRRESPONSIBLE for a company to sell ducklings and not carry the necessary products they need to live. x20 That being said I'm having some feed issues. So when I got my babies we bought a dumor chick starter kit that contained a feeder, water, 5lb bag of food, ect ect ect. I had a feeling that chicken feed wasn't the same as duck feed so I browsed around and also purchased the only product they had that mentioned ducks at all. This was ManaPro gamebird/showbird feed that states its good for ducks thru all stages yada yada. Two hours after setting the ducks up I was reading everything I could find on the net, landed here, and realized the protein content was far too high. So today after much research I found a feed store that said they sold duck feed, not the brand I wanted ,but beggars can't be choosers so off we went. When I got there the guy said they had two kinds one that was 18% protein and one that was 27% protein. I told him I wanted 18% he said no I didnt I wanted 27%. I told him I was pretty sure I wanted the 18%. he asked me why? I said cuz my duck hand book told me so. He rings up the 18%. He loads it. We drive home. It's 16% chicken layer feed....

I got 50 lbs of this crap. I can't return it. How/Can I make this work for my babies?!? We are ordering the Mazuri brand awesome stuff in the future but until then I'm lost. My main concerns are lack of enough niacin and maybe too much calcium?

Ok as far as grit goes long term my ducks will be getting enough thru foraging on our property but it's wet and cold here now and they are indoors and I'd like to ge them started on greens. All TSC had and sold me was for 8 weeks old and up and when I opened it the grit looks way too big for them. Noone here seems to sell chick grit if thats a thing? Or is it all one thing? Any and all help is much appreciated.

 

[Amiga]

Rough start. Good rant.

All I could get was 27% protein turkey-waterfowl starter crumbles, so I cut it with one part chopped whole oats (not instant) to 4 parts feed to reduce the protein. I gave gro-gel the first day and then once a week, poultry vitamins-electrolytes-probiotics.

I was able to find chick sized grit. But if you cannot, I have read - and someone correct me if I'm misremembering, here - that clean coarse sand can do the job. I think Miss Lydia, who does not use pesticides or herbicides on her yard, grabs a small spadeful of turf, with plants and roots and soil and gives it to her ducklings to play with and get grit from.

Perhaps she can confirm that.

If there is a rescue or rehab place around you, you might be able to donate the feed you don't plan to use. Or you could start a black soldier fly larva nursery. Only half kidding.

They like that stuff, and the larvae are used by some as extra protein treats for their poultry.

Of course, you don't want extra protein right now.

 

[RubberDuckee]

Go out into your yard (un-chemically treated) and take a spoon full of dirt. Fill a dish up with some dirt, acorns, rocks, and all... Put water in it and make it muddy. This is excellent grit!

 

[Olamina]

Rough start. Good rant.

All I could get was 27% protein turkey-waterfowl starter crumbles, so I cut it with one part chopped whole oats (not instant) to 4 parts feed to reduce the protein. I gave gro-gel the first day and then once a week, poultry vitamins-electrolytes-probiotics.

I was able to find chick sized grit. But if you cannot, I have read - and someone correct me if I'm misremembering, here - that clean coarse sand can do the job. I think Miss Lydia, who does not use pesticides or herbicides on her yard, grabs a small spadeful of turf, with plants and roots and soil and gives it to her ducklings to play with and get grit from.

Perhaps she can confirm that.

If there is a rescue or rehab place around you, you might be able to donate the feed you don't plan to use. Or you could start a black soldier fly larva nursery. Only half kidding.

They like that stuff, and the larvae are used by some as extra protein treats for their poultry.

Of course, you don't want extra protein right now.

I like the scooping up some dirt n greens idea and bringing it in! And sand I can also easily do. Does that mean that I can't use the feed that I have at all? I really find the idea of black soldier flys frightening lol!

 

[Amiga]

I am thinking that for the time being the Manna Pro with some chopped rolled oats might be your best bet.

Here is one thread from a couple of years back that may interest you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/350374/manna-pro-feed

Looking at their web site, I would feel comfortable giving them the Manna Pro with some chopped rolled oats.

 

[Amiga]

I like the scooping up some dirt n greens idea and bringing it in! And sand I can also easily do. Does that mean that I can't use the feed that I have at all? I really find the idea of black soldier flys frightening lol!

The flies themselves don't look like flies to me. I like creepy crawlies, though, most of'em. Not all. And not unexpected visitors. But I appreciate what they do in nature.

And larvae, well, I cannot say I find them exactly pretty.

 

[Olamina]

I can do that for maybe another week but at the rate they are eating I will be out of the mano pro soon. Why wouldn't you feed the other feed to them? Would it be harmful to them? or would it just need supplementation? If I absolutely can not use this bag of feed I won't but I'd rather try to salvage this situation if I can. Thanks

 

[crosbygroup]

I'm not a duck person, but I have two new ducklings. They are eating chick started (not medicated) with some extra brewers yeast on top. I think they can eat the layer rations if they are female and get near laying age.

 

[Amiga]

I can do that for maybe another week but at the rate they are eating I will be out of the mano pro soon. Why wouldn't you feed the other feed to them? Would it be harmful to them? or would it just need supplementation? If I absolutely can not use this bag of feed I won't but I'd rather try to salvage this situation if I can. Thanks

There is a concern that the additional calcium in the layer feed would be harmful to the ducklings' kidneys (and possibly other organs, I don't recall now). That would be my biggest concern. Also, those are pellets, right? I would be concerned about choking.

As with most of these decisions, there are some who feed layer to everyone in the flock, and then those of us who read Storey's Guide, saying that layer is for laying ducks only.

 

[Going Quackers]

For the sake of commiserating, my one feed mill is owed by a fairly large duck producer yet they carry no duck specific feeds lol I finally landed at an all flock carried by a different feed mill. I have never bothered with layer because of my drakes yes, some argue it's fine, Storey's guide to ducks says no, i say i'll err on the side of caution and skip it.

I am surprised you couldn't get the chick grit that is way more common than grower or hen level. You are correct in the thinking chick is quite fine, it's up from play sand but definitely more like a budgie gravel, which perhaps might be a thought? the only trouble is some mixes oyster shell into that and you don't need the extra calcium.

I share your frustration, my country doesn't even have half the brands others ones do, limited would be considered an improvement. Best of luck finding the needed balance and you know let your fingers to the work, call about you maybe surprised at what you can find/where.