Niacin Overdose

[Sarahf95]

Yes, I got the label. Do you have the brand name?

Oh sorry it’s bulk powders https://www.bulk.com/uk/b-vitamin-complex-tablets.html

 

[Isaac 0]

Oh sorry it’s bulk powders https://www.bulk.com/uk/b-vitamin-complex-tablets.html

Let me see if I can find a better one for you. It's pretty low in thiamine which is the vitamin were trying to rule out here. We want about 5mg thiamine per tablet, this one only has 1.1mg.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

@Isaac 0

Is it also important to consider how much they are drinking and eating at the same time that you are dosing Issac ?

For example, with our very poorly ducklings, they were barely drinking or eating (supplemented with BY) at all - the dose in the water was quite high but their intake of anything was very low indeed. I also made sure they at least had a nibble of something at the same time as having their bill dipped. We tried dropper feeding before and I suspect that contributed to one of our poorly ducklings dying.

My reasoning was I know if I take supplements on an empty stomach, I can end up feeling queasy.

Once they started more normal ducky behvaiours with their food and water (standing in it, throwing it everywhere) I tapered down the dose because I read that as a sign they were recovering and eating and drinking more.

Thank you for the info - I think its super important to understand as much as possible on the dosing and quality of supplements.

 

[Isaac 0]

@Isaac 0

Is it also important to consider how much they are drinking and eating at the same time that you are dosing Issac ?

For example, with our very poorly ducklings, they were barely drinking or eating (supplemented with BY) at all - the dose in the water was quite high but their intake of anything was very low indeed. I also made sure they at least had a nibble of something at the same time as having their bill dipped. We tried dropper feeding before and I suspect that contributed to one of our poorly ducklings dying.

My reasoning was I know if I take supplements on an empty stomach, I can end up feeling queasy.

Once they started more normal ducky behvaiours with their food and water (standing in it, throwing it everywhere) I tapered down the dose because I read that as a sign they were recovering and eating and drinking more.

Thank you for the info - I think its super important to understand as much as possible on the dosing and quality of supplements.

May I first ask what they had, that they weren't eating and drinking, and one died?

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

We don't know exactly - we do know the new breeding pair (Cayuga) had a very high fail rate with successfully hatching and then surviving beyond the hatch (either that or Mr Buff our Don Juan of the boys has awesome super genetics which meant every hatchling survived last year).

We won't be breeding from either of them moving forward or their offspring.

Where the eggs were from the breeding pair, I think we had one out of seven survive, with two dying post hatch. Where they were crossed with a KC or a Buffling, we had a better but still not great rate of something like one in two.

All I can say is that for the survivors, connected or otherwise, their symptoms were: poor overall development (they seemed premature even at 28 days+) lack of strentgh, poor co-ordination, bad positioning in the egg, trembling, poor appetite, splayed legs and one case of wry neck. Some were still absorbing as they came out the shell so had that additional challenge.

I've shared Wonkys story on the board - (s)he probably had most issues whilst managing to survive.

I supported Wonky with bill dunking (food and duck lucozade) for nearly two weeks.

 

[Isaac 0]

How old were they when you first started supplementing? With ducks that arent drinking/eating much, orally is the way to go.

 

[HalfWayUpAMountain]

For the ones that survived ? Essentially as soon as the yolk had finished being absorbed.

For most of them, it was like they barely had the energy and / or focus to get to the shallow bowls to sort themselves out even when they knew where they were.

They all responded to bill dipping - we did one at the start with a dropper, they got better then tanked and died with (new) breathing problems.

Appreciate that could be our technique rather than all attempts via a dropper being bad !

Our choice moving forward will be bill dipping

Edited to add: when I say bill dipping, I mean I dipped their bill and then they joined in and took a little drink themselves. Still very very low volume compared with what ducks usually get through.

 

[jahya0]

Just to show how easy it is to overdose, by my math 3 drops of b complex would be an overdose for a 35g duckling (day old mallard size)

Also if you put one ml in a water dish and you had 4 ducklings, if they drank half the water (obviously spilling the other half) that would also be an overdose.

Interesting that this is in stories guide, maybe its not full of typos just information that is not commonplace?

I wish I had seen this sooner. Our first duck veterinarian told us to use 1CC of vitamins per duckling (mot diluted, straight into their mouths), at about 4 weeks old. Niacin was one of the ingredients. We lost 1 duckling and the other has significant leg issues. Both developed pneumonia after starting the vitamins.

 

[Rouen Mom]

This is my third time trying to post this (for some reason my replies keep on going to the wrong post) but here goes...just wanted to say thank you for posting this, very helpful and informative

 

[Ecarroll]

I have a question about chicken niacin overdose. If you are feeding a mixed flock of chickens and ducks chicken layer pellets, and supplementing niacin in the water or feed, would the chickens be overdosed on niacin?