Question about Niacin and/or Brewers Yeast for Ducks

[LorelloFarms]

Thanks for the awesome information! As far as the brewer's yeast, you said 50mg in their food. How much food per 50 mg? Thanks!

 

[LorelloFarms]

Niacin is a B vitamin. See the Wikipedia entry for how it is used biologically http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niacin

Brewer's yeast is the waste product of alcohol fermentation (usually beer) that is high in niacin (the yeast can produce niacin). It can also refer to the concentrated yeast before it is used for fermentation. Feed stores tend to carry the former, vitamin stores tend to carry the latter.

Research indicates that ducks are not as efficient at absorbing niacin and/or they require more than similar birds.

Niacin deficiency is believed to cause lameness in ducklings as well as other ailments in juvenile or adult ducks. I have not seen any formal research indicating that niacin deficiency later in life can cause lameness in ducks.

Niacin supplements are not always necessary. Whether or not it is needed depends on diet and genetics. Like people not all ducks eat the same foods and some are more prone to vitamin deficiency problems.

Ducks that eat nothing but pellets formulated for ducks are not likely to need extra niacin unless they have a genetic predisposition towards niacin deficiency. Ducks that eat duck pellets as well as other foods (fed to them or from free ranging), might need the extra niacin depending on what they eat.

Ducks that free range (part time or full time) are a crap shoot. If they can catch lots of small animals like insects, worms or fish then they are not likely to need extra niacin. If they end up eating vegetables that are low in niacin, they might need the extra niacin.

Ducks that eat almost exclusively corn almost definitely need the extra niacin. While corn does contain niacin it is in a form that is NOT bio-available.

As far as dosages, too much can cause "flushing" in humans. I have not been able to find any research on whether or not it ducks or other poultry can exhibit negative symptoms from high niacin dosages but it is very likely toxicity exists at very high dosages. Niacin is water soluble so it is very difficult to overdose on it without the aid of supplements.

Because niacin is water soluble, it needs to be provided on a regular basis (assuming supplements are even needed).

Dosage is very different depending on how you give it. If you mix it in with their food then you'd want to use a much lower dose than mixing it in their water. The 100 mg per 1 gallon of water is a much lower dose than 50 mg mixed into their food!


As it is with people, it's much better to eat a well balanced diet than it is to rely on supplements!

The approach I take with niacin for our ducks is:
1. Primary food is pellets (about 50% of the daily diet of our ducks)
2. Most of their dry foods other than duck pellets (about 10% of diet) are a good source of niacin (dried peas, cat food, parrot food)
3. We feed fresh foods everyday (about 40% of their diet) - most of which are a good source of niacin (peas, leafy veggies, sprouts)
4. We put dry brewer's yeast (the kind from feed stores) in the feed bowl that contains their pellets and other dry foods. It's a powder and most of it settles to the bottom of the bowl where they ignore it.

Thank you so much for this great information! You said 50 mg of the Niacin in their food, but how much food per 50 mg? Thanks!!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks for the awesome information! As far as the brewer's yeast, you said 50mg in their food. How much food per 50 mg? Thanks!

1Tab per cup of feed for first 10 weeks.

@LorelloFarms Welcome to BYC

 

[mack1233]

It's 100mg per 1 gallon of water. Watch out to get the regular niacin, because the other one (inositol hexanicotinate) wont work. The one called flush free or no flush is the one you do not want.

Why? How come it doesn't work? And where can you get the right kind?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It has to do with the extra ingredients they put in them to make them flush free or time released.

 

[farmerbrowne]

Now I assume adding it to water that chickens may drink is not good? How can I separate them from eating the "treated" feed?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have all my flock together ducks geese and chickens so I used Nutritional yeast and sprinkle it over the feed when I put it out it's full of B vitamins which will not hurt our birds and they love the taste. If your using niacin in pill form make sure you have the right kind flush free and time released isn't it. I would put it into a bucket of water that my ducks use the most. and put it up high enough only they can reach it. I don't think it would bother the chickens but you can probably research it to see.

 

[farmerbrowne]

I have all my flock together ducks geese and chickens so I used Nutritional yeast and sprinkle it over the feed when I put it out it's full of B vitamins which will not hurt our birds and they love the taste. If your using niacin in pill form make sure you have the right kind flush free and time released isn't it. I would put it into a bucket of water that my ducks use the most. and put it up high enough only they can reach it. I don't think it would bother the chickens but you can probably research it to see.

My feed store only sells Purina pur-a-yeast. Wonder if that works

 

[Miss Lydia]

I don't see niacin mentioned I'd order either Brewers yeast or Nutritional you can get either on line if you can't find around you.

 

[farmerbrowne]

There is another thing I wonder about