Starter feed, Maintenance, and niacin for ducklings

[HottentotTeal]

I am reading my Storey's Guide book and a few web links and am trying to figure out what i need to do for my ducklings with niacin

They are now 2 weeks old.

I have been feeding them the Mazuri starter food (20% protein & 83ppm Niacin) and i also have the Mazuri Maintenance food (14% protein & 38ppm Niacin).

Both foods are available to them, although they have been eating the starter much more, since it lasts longer and the adults eat up the maintenance food pretty fast, and plus it's smaller and easier to eat.


Storey's guide mentions that they should eat starter for just the first 2 weeks and then move onto a lower protein, so i figure that means stop providing it and just have the Maintenance out.


My question is that i see varying thoughts on Niacin. The starter has more niacin in it and i see some articles and the book saying they should be given niacin until about 8-10 weeks, so does that means i should stop giving them the starter food and supplement their water?

 

[TLWR]

You can continue to give starter and just add in other stuff (oats) to cut the protein a bit.
Or you can mix the starter with the maintenance so you aren't wasting food.

Niacin - you can get brewers yeast and add to their food or niacin tabs/capsules/etc and add to their water.
No all ducklings need the extra, but you don't who needs it know until you know because issues have popped up - so no issue just giving everybody extra niacin from the start and hopefully just avoiding all issues

 

[HottentotTeal]

Ok, thanks for letting me know.

The past few days, i have been putting 1/2 cup of the maintenance for the adults and putting 1/4 cup of the starter in the adult feeding bowl, since the ducklings have been eating from the adult bowl.

I have a baby chick feeder and a waterer, the kinds with the jar or plastic cannister that you fill up and then it uses gravity when you flip it over to fill the base. I've provided that since they were born and only fill up the adult bowl about 6am and 6pm every day.

I was planning on cutting back on the starter by taking out the baby chick feeder and just let them eat from the adult bowl, but don't know if i should keep mixing a little of the starter feed in there or not, because of the protein.

I have 2 adult ducks and 4 baby ducks. They are hottentot teals, so they are pretty small.

I think i will get some tablets and just add to the water. It sounds like the safest thing to do.