Raising and caring for ducklings

[Miss Lydia]

Does anyone know of any treats I can feed my one week old duckling or should he just be on crumb right now? I'd love to give him something new as he wants to eat anything he sees xxx

You can try some very fine chopped lettuce as long as you have chick grit down for them they need to have grit when eating anything other than their crumble.Put the grit into a separate bowl from the feed. They will eat it as needed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Ok, thank you. I will get a fresh bag. So you think I should get chick starter? Without medication?

I am not sure what the protein content is in game bird starter it maybe okay to use as long as you begin cutting the protein once they get around 3 weeks old if the protein is higher than 18-20% to keep from possibly causing Angel wing. Chick starter with out med is formulated for hatchlings just be sure to add either Nutritional yeast 1 Tab to 1 cup of feed or Plain niacin[125mgs] crushed and added to 1 gal of water for the first 10 weeks to guard against leg and neurological issues since Chicken feed doesn't have the amount of niacin ducklings need.

 

[AzDeb]

If you are feeding your duckling chick starter , should you give them both Niacin and Brewers Yeast ? Thank you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you are feeding your duckling chick starter , should you give them both Niacin and Brewers Yeast ? Thank you!

yes but choose which one either the plain niacin 125mgs to 1 gal of water or Brewers yeast/Nutritional yeast 1 Tab to 1 cup of feed till 10weeks old .

@AzDeb Welcome to BYC!!

 

[AzDeb]

Thank you, Miss Lydia! Just to make it clear for me, is that add it to every gallon of water and every cup of feed? Or say, the first gallon you give them in the morning?

 

[AzDeb]

Amiga, is that uncooked oatmeal you mentioned as grit for ducks Steelcut oats? Or Scottish oats? Both are small grained oatmeal... lucky for me we are an Oatmeal loving family and I have 4 or 5 different bins of oats!
Thank you all for your advice!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thank you, Miss Lydia! Just to make it clear for me, is that add it to every gallon of water and every cup of feed? Or say, the first gallon you give them in the morning?

If they drink a whole gallon of water in a day then yes make up another gal with 125mgs of niacin or if they eat a whole cup of feed down the for every cup they eat add 1 Tab of Nutritional yeast to it.

 

[Amiga]

If they drink a whole gallon of water in a day then yes make up another gal with 125mgs of niacin or if they eat a whole cup of feed down the for every cup they eat add 1 Tab of Nutritional yeast to it.

@AzDeb @Miss Lydia

If I understand AzDeb's question - you either put it in their drinking water, or add it to their food, but not both.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Amiga, is that uncooked oatmeal you mentioned as grit for ducks Steelcut oats? Or Scottish oats? Both are small grained oatmeal... lucky for me we are an Oatmeal loving family and I have 4 or 5 different bins of oats!
Thank you all for your advice!

I looked back and didn't see where Amiga posted about using oatmeal of any kind for grit.She may have and I over looked it though. Grit is what poultry use to grind up their feed in the crops since they don't have teeth to chew with so they need something like chick grit found at most feed stores or on line or sand or if foraging outside then they will pick up their own grit like tiny stones and sand in soil. I don't think oatmeal will do it. If you using a very high protein feed then when they are around 3 weeks old you can add oatmeal to that to cut the protein to help keep them from getting angel wing.

 

[Miss Lydia]

@AzDeb @Miss Lydia

If I understand AzDeb's question - you either put it in their drinking water, or add it to their food, but not both.

Sorry i didn't make myself clear yes choose either or.

Thanks Amiga.