No medicated food for ducklings, right? & how long in the incubator?

[Cherlyn]

I have both medicated and non-medicated. I have always heard to not give ducks medicated food. Problem is, I have one duckling and many chicks hatching today, and am planning on putting them in the same brooder (one duckling on his own would be too lonely). So if I cannot give the duckling medicated food, then I need to figure out how to keep him away from the chick food.

~Cherlyn

 

[rainplace]

From what I've read here, medicated chick feed is fine. Older chick feed had stuff in it that was toxic to ducks, but I think now it has amprolium which is safe for ducks. Someone else should chime in here soon.

 

[becky3086]

Some medicated is alright, it depends on what it is medicated with. I used to know which one was bad, let me see if I can find the article that I read again.

Well, I cannot find it but I believe the above post is right because I remember that the amprolium was the good medicated feed. I have never had a problem feeding mine Purina and Dumor chick starter.

 

[M@M@2four]

Correct--feed them non-medicated chick feed. I have had a lone duckling, so what I've done is pick up healthy looking chick and placed in a brooder with the duckling and fed them both non-medicated. Chicks don't have to have non-medicated, but it does help prevent things like cocci. I know a lone duckling can be very unhappy by himself as they are social creatures!

 

[Cherlyn]

K, another question. How long can he stay in the incubator? He hatched 3 hours ago, and I have three other pips on my chicken eggs, and six others not pipped yet.

~Cherlyn

 

[M@M@2four]

Quote:
Up to 24 hours--the annoying part is, that they bulldoze the eggs trying to pip and hatch, but you risk losing humidity as soon as you open the incubator. So, I would just turn the lights out in the room(to keep him calm) and wait. I know, easier said than done, right?! lol

 

[becky3086]

I never wait. I take them out as soon as they dry (quickly!) and sometimes re-wet the sponges. I just don't have a problem and think that you have to be pretty slow taking the chick out to lose enough humidity to even worry about. Just my thoughts, I know, everyone says different but I know what I do and know it isn't a problem.

 

[mberry222]

I believe medicated starter is fine for ducklings. Check out this post, I had the same question a while back.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=200771

 

[Katy]

Medicated is fine as long as the "medication" in is amprolium/amprol. That's what I've always raised my call ducklings on.

 

[Cherlyn]

No amprol listed anywhere - what other words should I look for?

~Cherlyn