Nutritional yeast for ducklings

[HMSmith]

Sorry I see you already said Ancona.
If for some reason they start to get leg problems you can up the nutritional yeast to 3 tblsp per cup or get a B complex to give them.

Awesome! Thank you! Will it hurt to go ahead add the B complex. They are only 4 days old but they are so active! And one is already jumping on everything!

 

[Cayuga momma]

Awesome! Thank you! Will it hurt to go ahead add the B complex. They are only 4 days old but they are so active! And one is already jumping on everything!

B vitamins are water soluble, which means excess should get flushed out of their systems. Personally I'm still careful about over doing it.
If it were me I would just stick to the nutritional yeast. I don't like giving the B complex unless I see leg problems. I definitely wouldn't give both at the same time. Ancona ducks are medium weight class ducks so yours probably won't have any problems.

 

[HMSmith]

B vitamins are water soluble, which means excess should get flushed out of their systems. Personally I'm still careful about over doing it.
If it were me I would just stick to the nutritional yeast. I don't like giving the B complex unless I see leg problems. I definitely wouldn't give both at the same time. Ancona ducks are medium weight class ducks so yours probably won't have any problems.

My gut said not to mix them both but I’m very new to ducks so I’m trying not to fail them. Especially since the information I’ve been reading is for meat birds and my babies definitely aren’t meat birds. Thank you for you help! I appreciate it.

 

[PaulX]

I read somewhere that 3-4 weeks old pekin need 9 mg niacin a day.

And according to this site
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/1323565/2
2 tbsp nutritional yeast should contain 56 g niacin.
i.e. 1/2 tbsp (14 g niacin), or even less, should be more than a single duckling would ever need per day.

 

[Cayuga momma]

I read somewhere that 3-4 weeks old pekin need 9 mg niacin a day.

And according to this site
https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/custom/1323565/2
2 tbsp nutritional yeast should contain 56 g niacin.
i.e. 1/2 tbsp (14 g niacin), or even less, should be more than a single duckling would ever need per day.

9 mg a day???

 

[PaulX]

9 mg a day???
View attachment 1744966

That table says 'per kg of diet'.
i.e., for 1 kg of food, add 55 mg niacin, or 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast.

Most sources I can find, like
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2018/05/ducks-need-niacin-aka-ducks-love-peas.html
or
https://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html

says about 10 mg of niacin a day (per duck)

 

[Cayuga momma]

That table says 'per kg of diet'.
i.e., for 1 kg of food, add 55 mg niacin, or 2 tbsp of nutritional yeast.

Most sources I can find, like
https://www.fresheggsdaily.com/2018/05/ducks-need-niacin-aka-ducks-love-peas.html
or
https://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html

says about 10 mg of niacin a day (per duck)

Ok, I got you now