The Right Food?!

[amandanp]

My girls are about 2 1/2 weeks old and I was concerned about their niacin intake. I was getting a feed from a local feed store that they make themselves. When I purchased it, they said it was great for both ducklings and chicks and is sold as a starter/grower. I have called several times to get as much information as I could on the food and what is in it. This morning I got a hold of someone different that said there is only 6.5 mg/kilo in their food!! I was so upset! I have called and asked so many times!! When I spoke with the gentleman this morning he suggested supplementing the niacin. Needless to say, I am getting them new food. I don't see much for ducklings available in my area but I found my TSC carries DuMor Duck Feed Crumbles with 35mg per lb of niacin and is at 22% protein. Is that too much protein? I found one other brand "Nature's Best Organic Duck Crumbles" which is 18% protein and 25 mg/lb niacin . I am ordering both but should I go with the Nature's Best for the girls so I'm not overdoing the protein? It looks like there is the correct amount of niacin too according to the 55mg per 2.2 lbs. Help??

 

[MGG]

My girls are about 2 1/2 weeks old and I was concerned about their niacin intake. I was getting a feed from a local feed store that they make themselves. When I purchased it, they said it was great for both ducklings and chicks and is sold as a starter/grower. I have called several times to get as much information as I could on the food and what is in it. This morning I got a hold of someone different that said there is only 6.5 mg/kilo in their food!! I was so upset! I have called and asked so many times!! When I spoke with the gentleman this morning he suggested supplementing the niacin. Needless to say, I am getting them new food. I don't see much for ducklings available in my area but I found my TSC carries DuMor Duck Feed Crumbles with 35mg per lb of niacin and is at 22% protein. Is that too much protein? I found one other brand "Nature's Best Organic Duck Crumbles" which is 18% protein and 25 mg/lb niacin . I am ordering both but should I go with the Nature's Best for the girls so I'm not overdoing the protein? It looks like there is the correct amount of niacin too according to the 55mg per 2.2 lbs. Help??

Do they have Purina Flock raiser? That's what I would recommend feeding. The niacin amount doesn't matter too much unless you're seeing issues. Some ducklings do fine with less niacin and some need more, it just depends on the duckling. If you're worried about it, just get some nutritional yeast and mix that in the flock raiser every now and then.

Don't worry about the protein amount until they start to grow their wings out. Excess protein when they're growing their wings can contribute to angel wing. I mix rolled oats in with the flock raiser for a couple weeks at that age to lower the protein percentage.

 

[relicshunter]

Like was said some ducklings do fine on low niacin and some don't. A lot of it is in the line genetically in my opinion. You could take the Dumor that is 22% and mix it with the current food you have and likely be good since it is quite high in niacin also. I use the purina flock raiser also and cut the protein back a little at 3 weeks. The Natures organic is fine but watch it for mold I found it went quick in the humid air of FL.

 

[amandanp]

Do they have Purina Flock raiser? That's what I would recommend feeding. The niacin amount doesn't matter too much unless you're seeing issues. Some ducklings do fine with less niacin and some need more, it just depends on the duckling. If you're worried about it, just get some nutritional yeast and mix that in the flock raiser every now and then.

Don't worry about the protein amount until they start to grow their wings out. Excess protein when they're growing their wings can contribute to angel wing. I mix rolled oats in with the flock raiser for a couple weeks at that age to lower the protein percentage.

They did have a Purina Flock Raiser and it was in pellet form. My girls are on a crumble and I’m not sure what age they should move up to the pellets. I would be concerned about them choking.

My husband and I just noticed that they seem to lay down a bit more. They are laying by the waterer and will move about a bit then just plop down. I’d like to stay on top of it if at all possible.

 

[amandanp]

Like was said some ducklings do fine on low niacin and some don't. A lot of it is in the line genetically in my opinion. You could take the Dumor that is 22% and mix it with the current food you have and likely be good since it is quite high in niacin also. I use the purina flock raiser also and cut the protein back a little at 3 weeks. The Natures organic is fine but watch it for mold I found it went quick in the humid air of FL.

That’s good to know about the Nature’s Best. We are in Michigan so it can be humid here too. I have their current feed in the original bag and that is placed inside of a metal tin with a tight lid. Will that help?

 

[ruthhope]

The Dumor Duck crumbles are good for your little ones for now. They need high protein and niacin to grow well at this stage.

You do not say what type of ducklings your little ones are. If they are pekins they will continue to need high levels of niacin while growing, and the females will need them while laying.

If you do not have chickens, I would not give them all flock, I would give them Purina duck pellets from TSC when your Dumor is finished.

In desperation, you could mix the Dumor with your original feed but I would not. The Dumor is appropriate and the chicken feed is not.

My son and I have ducks. He has pekins, two females and a drake. He wants organic food for his laying females and that makes feeding them problematic as we cannot get affordable organic duck food. He uses organic chicken layer feed and has to supplement it with brewer's years: 1 tablespoon per cup of pellets. But my concern is that he is giving his drake too much calcium and so I want my son to change the over to organic flock raiser. He will have to offer oyster shell on the side as well as brewer's yeast to accommodate his pekin's nutritional needs.

My ducks -- mixed adult muscovy drakes and adult pekin drakes -- do well on purina duck pellets

I strongly recommend giving yours the Dumor Duck crumbles and then swapping them on to duck pellets from 8 or so weeks old. The only reason not to use duck specific food is if you want to feed them organic or if you have a mixed flock of chickens and ducks.

 

[amandanp]

The Dumor Duck crumbles are good for your little ones for now. They need high protein and niacin to grow well at this stage.

You do not say what type of ducklings your litle ones are. If they are pekins they will continue to need high levels of niacin while growing, and the females will need them while laying.

If you do not have chickens, I would not give them all flock, I would give them purina duck pellets from TSC when your dumor is finished.

In desperation, you could mix the dumor with your original feed but I would not. The Dumor is appropriate and the chicken feed is not.

My son and I have ducks. He has pekins, two females and a drake. He wants organic food for his layign females and that makes feeding them problematic as we cannot get affordable organic duck food. He uses organic chicken layer feed and has to supplement it with brewers years: 1 tablespoon per cup of pellets. But my concern is that he is givign his drake too much Calcium and so I want my son to change the over to organic flock raiser. He will have to offer oyster shell on the side as well as brewer's yeast to accommodate his pekin's nutritional needs

My ducks -- mixed adult muscovy drakes and adult pekin drakes -- do well on purina duck pellets

I strongly recommend giving yours the Dumor Duck crumbles and then swapping them on to DUck pellets from 8 or so weeks old. The only reason not to use duck specific food is if you want to feed them organic or if you have a mixed flock of chickens and ducks.

Sorry about that! My girls are Buff Orpingtons. I do not have chickens just the ducklings. I will need to mix the original feed with the new feed for a while to slowly get them on the new food but otherwise I don’t intend to mix them. It looked like the Nature’s Best organic was formulated for ducklings specifically.

 

[relicshunter]

That’s good to know about the Nature’s Best. We are in Michigan so it can be humid here too. I have their current feed in the original bag and that is placed inside of a metal tin with a tight lid. Will that help?

I had been feeding it and zipped it all the time, then skipped a couple weeks between hatches and it molded in that short time

 

[ruthhope]

I had been feeding it and zipped it all the time, then skipped a couple weeks between hatches and it molded in that short time

My son has twice had organic layer feed mold -- he is not careful about closing the sack, and although he keeps the sack in a bin, the bin has a flip lid and moisture can get in.

I have never had my duck pellets mold. I keep them in their sack which I do close along the press and seal, and then keep the sack in an aluminum bin with a tight lid. I am in NE Florida which is humid much of the year. So, I think being fastidious about closing the sack and keeping it in a metal bin with tight lid should work [and also keep out rodents!]

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have Buffs and rec you use Nutritional yeast sprinkled over their feed until they are at least 12 weeks old. My girls are going on 7 yrs now and they still get Nutritional yeast sprinkled over their feed daily. Your more heavier-weight ducks need the extra niacin. Even my Runners and Muscovy still get NY on their feed daily. It's so good for them.