Question about Niacin and/or Brewers Yeast for Ducks

[The Duck ABC's]

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Will not work. Wrong kind. It has the innositol hexanicotinate in it. Words like flush-free or slow release tell you to stay away.

You want it to say Nicotinic Acid, the simple form of it.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

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It says time release on it. Not so good. Yes, you can break it up.

 

[Hattiegun]

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From my understanding , lack of niacin causes leg problems.. if u are feeding waterfowl /duck/ food there should be niacin in it. They also will get it free ranging and from greens that u feed them...we have a Duck /goose/chick str where I work that DOes have it... I use Duck grower and feed greens everyday and they free range when weather permits . I also give viatimn electrolytes during the winter and do NOT add niacin supplement ... it should say on your feed tag ...

 

[Duck_feeder]

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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.

 

[donnavee]

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Per The Duck ABC's post, do not use the flush free kind - just the regular niacin which Wal Mart should also have.

 

[Valley quail breeder]

Do you have the link for the niacin you use?

The Duck ABC's :

Quote:
It says time release on it. Not so good. Yes, you can break it up.​

 

[duckyfromoz]

Some great information there Duck_feeder.

Yes ducks do need more niacin than chickens- but if they have a ballanced diet they should rarely need supplimenting. All grain poultry feed - be it mash or pellets or other has some niacin in it. Niacin in feed is measured by the manufacturers as parts per million in the feed- in converting that to a daily requirement of ducks in comparison to chickens- you also need to factor in that by weight- a duck will eat more pellets than a chicken- there for incresing the overall intake of all nutritional requirements. Supplimenting over winter- for all vitamins- not just niacn can be helpful when the hours free ranging and amount to forrage is decreased.
In individual cases- such as when ducklings are poorly after being shipped- over winter or the duck is suffering illness the use of vitamins- ( including Niacin ) is warranted but otherwise unless they show symptoms of niacin deficiency- you are probably wasting your money on buying the suppilments.

 

[emjay]

very interesting

so for ducklings. is their niacin in their feed? or is it best to sprinkle brewers yeast on their feed? if so, how much, for how long? I hope I didn't overlook this answer for the ducklings. if so, I apologize, trying to absorb as much info as I can, haha.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

I go the easy route and use a poultry mix. It does not only have the niacin, but vitamins, minerals, electrolytes, and probiotics. One teaspoon per gallon of water per week and they are all set.
https://www.gqfmfg.com/store/comersus_viewItem.asp?idProduct=231
There are other products out there doing the same. I like this one, because it is a powder, stores easy in a mason jar, and it is easy to dose.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

I have an adult duck who has been very strange lately, and for the past 4 days, has been unable to walk. SHe looks tired. I thought she must have eaten something bad, like a stick or a rock, and isolated her, made her comfortable, and waited for her to die. well, 4 days later, she's no worse, and certainly not dead... could this be a niacin problem? My ducks free range (it's been a long snowy winter) and eat a mixture of grains and greens... but she's low duck on the totem pole, and it's possible that she's not been getting as much greens as everyone else...