Sell Me On A Duck Breed

[shawluvsbirds]

Between reading and learning more about ducks and tearing down an old dog kennel, I have been busy! Working mostly in the rain, I have torn down an old kennel and some of a rotted, insulated dog house, which is a freaking disaster to clean up. This has left me worn to a frazzle at night and not feeling like chatting much...and I’ve missed it.

Y’all, I obviously am way overthinking this whole duck thing...their feed, their housing, free range or confinement.........!

I’ve been reading TOO much, if that’s even a possibility!

BTW, can ducks see in the dark?

If ducks party all night long, I can’t possibly put them in the coop with my chickens! They need their beauty sleep.

And how can I keep them with my chickens when the food they eat is different?

Will my chickens be harmed if they ingest too much niacin, via Brewers Yeast?

None of the TSC’s in a 50 mile radius of my home carry the Purina Duck Feed (pellets) in anything other than a 5 lb. bag. After talking to the manager about ordering the large bags online to be delivered to the store, I found out I had absolutely no control over the milled date of the feed. Not a good thing. He then told me that people use the Purina Game Bird Chow for all their birds, ducks included. Really?!?View attachment 2043546

Please tell me this is not correct! The protein percentage is a whopping 30% and niacin is not included in the guaranteed analysis. It is included in the ingredient listing as “niacin supplement,” but how much is that? Probably not enough.
View attachment 2043547

See why I’m going nuts about this! Yes, I am a definite worrier and obvious over thinker! It can’t be this difficult! It just can’t be!

With all this uncertainty, how in the world am I gonna successfully keep ducks?

I have only ever brooded the dry, dusty chick, so I am now learning all things wet and ducky. I am in the process of gathering all the things I need to put together my duckie brooder. My plans are to use a 50 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank as the brooder and then put it into the yard as a duck water source. I am installing a shower drain in the bottom of the tank, which will also drain the excess water from the brooder waterer. That’s what is intended anyway.

I have three whole days of SUNSHINE, starting today, and I’ve got so much to do. I must get all the fence lines sprayed this weekend. All this excess rain has definitely been a detriment to me. But I will regroup!

That protein is too high. I would not use that.
I would stick with an all flock feed.
For the ducklings.. they will need a higher protein feed but not that much, that has 30%.

You do not have to have specific duck feed.. if you can't find it. Lots of people raise them on Purina flock raiser.
I use nutrena naturewise game bird crumbled feed feed for about 6 to 8 weeks and then I switched to nutrena all flock which is kind of a pellet form and it is a lot less waste then the crumbles.
I have not had to go overboard with supplementing niacin with the nutrena game bird feed.
I might squirt some on some mealworms once in awhile when they get up and start walking around but that's about it.

 

[Mimi13]

That protein is too high. I would not use that.
I would stick with an all flock feed.
For the ducklings.. they will need a higher protein feed but not that much, that has 30%.

You do not have to have specific duck feed.. if you can't find it. Lots of people raise them on Purina flock raiser.
I use nutrena naturewise game bird crumbled feed feed for about 6 to 8 weeks and then I switched to nutrena all flock which is kind of a pellet form and it is a lot less waste then the crumbles.
I have not had to go overboard with supplementing niacin with the nutrena game bird feed.
I might squirt some on some mealworms once in awhile when they get up and start walking around but that's about it.

I plan on using the Purina duck pellets for the first 6-8 weeks. The pellets seem small enough, I think. The only thing I’m worried about is that the Flock Raiser Crumble (I don’t have access to the pellets) gets too fine for my likes. No, I don’t eat it! But it is either powdery or gets powdery and I’m afraid the ducks will choke on that. If pellets is what I should be using I will have to switch to Nutrena All Flock.

That is good to hear your thoughts on the niacin. Hopefully the little duck feed pellets will have exactly what they need in the beginning and then I can give them add-on niacin like you’ve suggested.

My run has a tin roof and is completely wired with hardware cloth. They will be protected in the run at night. I will have to get used to the fact that ducks do better in cold weather than chickens do. Where I live we have maybe 5-7 nights as low as the high teens to low 20’s, but mostly our winter nights are in the low to mid 30’s. With that being said I suppose the ducks will be okay not bedding down in the coop. I do wrap the run during the colder months for wind protection.

 

[duluthralphie]

The only thing I’m worried about is that the Flock Raiser Crumble (I don’t have access to the pellets) gets too fine for my likes. No, I don’t eat it! But it is either powdery or gets powdery and I’m afraid the ducks will choke on that

so it appears you stumbled upon the perfect food without my help...

 

[Mimi13]

so it appears you stumbled upon the perfect food without my help...

Yes, but I need help with what to wash it down with.

Will this work?

 

[Mimi13]

All this talk about NIACIN has made me wonder how many of you have actually popped a niacin supplement.

I have...years ago.

Go ahead, they said.

It will improve your circulation, they said.

Holy sh*t! I felt like I had eaten a million needles and they were all trying to exit my body through my skin, everywhere! Mainly my scalp!

Never again!

Poor ducks!

 

[duluthralphie]

Yes, but I need help with what to wash it down with.

Will this work?
View attachment 2044297

Keep dux away from all adult beverages... they will riot on a half a beer.

 

[duluthralphie]

All this talk about NIACIN has made me wonder how many of you have actually popped a niacin supplement.

I have...years ago.

Go ahead, they said.

It will improve your circulation, they said.

Holy sh*t! I felt like I had eaten a million needles and they were all trying to exit my body through my skin, everywhere! Mainly my scalp!

Never again!

Poor ducks!

Note to self: lace public dux feeding areas with niacin...

 

[shawluvsbirds]

I plan on using the Purina duck pellets for the first 6-8 weeks. The pellets seem small enough, I think. The only thing I’m worried about is that the Flock Raiser Crumble (I don’t have access to the pellets) gets too fine for my likes. No, I don’t eat it! But it is either powdery or gets powdery and I’m afraid the ducks will choke on that. If pellets is what I should be using I will have to switch to Nutrena All Flock.

That is good to hear your thoughts on the niacin. Hopefully the little duck feed pellets will have exactly what they need in the beginning and then I can give them add-on niacin like you’ve suggested.

My run has a tin roof and is completely wired with hardware cloth. They will be protected in the run at night. I will have to get used to the fact that ducks do better in cold weather than chickens do. Where I live we have maybe 5-7 nights as low as the high teens to low 20’s, but mostly our winter nights are in the low to mid 30’s. With that being said I suppose the ducks will be okay not bedding down in the coop. I do wrap the run during the colder months for wind protection.

I think you've got that backwards a duckling would come closer to choking on a pellet then the crumbles.
But that is the main reason I don't buy Purina flock raiser plus it's more expensive here than the nutrena. The Purina feed is more crumbled and they waste more that way. It falls out of their mouth on the ground. With the pellets they tend to be able to pick up what they drop.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My ducks prefer pellets rather than crumble, but they get crumble till they move outside.

 

[Mimi13]

I think you've got that backwards a duckling would come closer to choking on a pellet then the crumbles.
But that is the main reason I don't buy Purina flock raiser plus it's more expensive here than the nutrena. The Purina feed is more crumbled and they waste more that way. It falls out of their mouth on the ground. With the pellets they tend to be able to pick up what they drop.

Oh okay. I was thinking the powdery Crumbles is what would be more apt to cake up in their nostrils and clump in their throats. Gotcha!