Starter for waterfowl ?

[melissa508]

The only store close to me to buy feed is Tractor supply. I have waterfowl due to hatch anytime & know i cannot use chick starter to feed them.
They are valuable & I cannot have angel wings.
Where I used to live we had an actual feed mill where they made the feed & they had waterfowl starter crumbles which was lower in protien & they also made alfalfa pellets for waterfowl..it was designed to be fed in addition to regular feed for waterfowl, without putting weight on too fast..therefore preventing angel wings- Once i started using this, i never had another angel wing in any of my ducks or geese.

Does anyone know of a feed TSC carries (dumor) that would be appropriate for waterfowl babies ?

 

[Wifezilla]

There are quit a few of us using chick starter with added niacin (and supplemental greens) that have no angel wing issues. I also mix in game bird feed. I think giving them greens is pretty important and can help avoid health issues.

While protein gets the blame, I actually believe it is excess carbohydrates that cause angel wing.

Alfalfa pellets and cubes should be available regardless. In the winter I gave my ducks the cubes after soaking them in warm water. Great treat when they couldn't forage for their own greens.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

I get my alfalfa pellets from TSC. I use Producers Pride.

 

[ChickenToes]

I use nonmedicated chick starter. At 3 to 4 weeks old, I start cutting the feed with oats to lower the protein level. I also give them extra niacin. No angel wing yet!

 

[melissa508]

I agree with you on the excess carbs with waterfowl & angelwings. I do not think its a genetic issue, I have seen it too many times previosly on my own farm & others with birds totally unrelated & of different species..all of them were fed too well i think lol

I am hatching swans any day now, detailed information on them is very hard to come by, so i am going to go by ducks & geese feeding guidlines.
I would hate to have an angelwing on them.

 

[Wifezilla]

Swans? Wow. No wonder you want to be careful

Greens will be even more important for those babies. Think about what a wild swan would eat this time of year in its natural environment.

"Aquatic plants make up a lot of the swan’s diet, but they will graze on grass and clover, as well as taking leaves from overhanging willow."

"Their natural diet consists of ...

* Swans: In summer, the diet of swans consists mainly of aquatic vegetation, eaten while swimming, such as underwater plants and algae (Note: as algae eaters, they can be valuable in shallow bay areas, in rivers and ponds)
o Grasses found along the banks.
o They are also insectivores and will eat small insects
o At other times of year, they also eat cultivated grains in open fields

* Ducks feed off of larvae and pupae usually found under rocks, aquatic animals, plant material, seeds, small fish, snails, and crabs

* Geese are herbivorous and their natural diet consists of grass They may also feed on aquatic plant material and waste grain left in plowed fields, as well as mollusks, crustaceans and even small fish. Many of them (such as the Roman Rufted Geese) also eat bugs, which makes them an excellent choice for those wishing to control insect populations in the backyard.
o Note: Feeding geese is likely to reduce or even eliminates their value as natural insect controller in the backyard."
http://www.avianweb.com/swandiet.html

I wanted to incorporate duck weed in to my duck's diet, but I bought the starter too early and it froze

I need to order more.

I did grab some aquatic plants from a local pond to see if they would grow in my pond. The ducks ate them all in about 10 minutes...LOL