Using Powdered Niacin for Ducklings

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

I stopped using nutritional yeast for my ducks because of the cost, and started putting this powdered niacin in their water instead. I use a couple scoops in their 15 gallon waterer every once in a while. It's a very high potency. Would it be too strong to use for the ducklings' niacin supplement too? If not, how much do you think I should put in a 1 gallon waterer? The scoop is about 1/3 teaspoon, and 1 scoop is 1000mg. Thanks!

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

It should be fine. Ducks will pass what they don't need. I've used this before but my ducks didn't like the taste.

 

[Banana01]

Excess niacin can cause flushing, rash, diarreah. There is even a warning on the label of your product, so you know it is strong. It is called immediate release medicine as opposed to medicines in tablets designed to be extended release. Also as you already know the immediate release is designed to be taken in a single measured dose at night before bedtime on a full stomach. There are warnings about using on an empty stomach as well. There are also different doses for ducklings vs full grown adults vs females and males and the dose lesser for females.

Since you are putting it in their drinking water, it is kind of hard to ensure a proper dose of water. But the supplement i have similar to this as an example (skipping the math) is 2 g per gallon.

How big is your scoop? 1 tablespoon is 15 grams, so lets assume you are using 30 grams (you said you put 2 scoops per 15 gallons). That is the same as the above, or 2 g / gallon, or in g/mL, 0.0005 g/mL. A duckling may drink 20 to 80 mL a day, I actually have no idea, but that is 10 mg to 40 mg a day of vitamin water.

10 milligrams per day is roughly 10x the supplemental dose. And the medicine will tend to settle on the bottom over time, making a 15 gallon waterer difficult.

If anything you are overdosing quite a bit if your goal is to give a dietary supplement.

Ideally you would put in a waterer at night before bedtime and give a more controlled single dose of this medicine on a full stomach per the labeled instructions, but that is quite a bit of chores. So if anything I would back you dose down by a factor of 10.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Excess niacin can cause flushing, rash, diarreah. There is even a warning on the label of your product, so you know it is strong. It is called immediate release medicine as opposed to medicines in tablets designed to be extended release. Also as you already know the immediate release is designed to be taken in a single measured dose at night before bedtime on a full stomach. There are warnings about using on an empty stomach as well. There are also different doses for ducklings vs full grown adults vs females and males and the dose lesser for females.

Since you are putting it in their drinking water, it is kind of hard to ensure a proper dose of water. But the supplement i have similar to this as an example (skipping the math) is 2 g per gallon.

How big is your scoop? 1 tablespoon is 15 grams, so lets assume you are using 30 grams (you said you put 2 scoops per 15 gallons). That is the same as the above, or 2 g / gallon, or in g/mL, 0.0005 g/mL. A duckling may drink 20 to 80 mL a day, I actually have no idea, but that is 10 mg to 40 mg a day of vitamin water.

10 milligrams per day is roughly 10x the supplemental dose. And the medicine will tend to settle on the bottom over time, making a 15 gallon waterer difficult.

If anything you are overdosing quite a bit if your goal is to give a dietary supplement.

Ideally you would put in a waterer at night before bedtime and give a more controlled single dose of this medicine on a full stomach per the labeled instructions, but that is quite a bit of chores. So if anything I would back you dose down by a factor of 10.

The scoop is the one that came with the jar, and it's only about 1/3 teaspoon. According to the jar it's 1g per scoop. So I only put 2g in 15 gallons of water every other week or so. That's for the adult ducks. Does that sound okay? Thanks for doing all that math, that's not my forte!

 

[Banana01]

The scoop is the one that came with the jar, and it's only about 1/3 teaspoon. According to the jar it's 1g per scoop. So I only put 2g in 15 gallons of water every other week or so. That's for the adult ducks. Does that sound okay? Thanks for doing all that math, that's not my forte!

The scoop is the one that came with the jar, and it's only about 1/3 teaspoon. According to the jar it's 1g per scoop. So I only put 2g in 15 gallons of water every other week or so. That's for the adult ducks. Does that sound okay? Thanks for doing all that math, that's not my forte!

Ok so originally I assumed you were giving 30 g but with the modified scoop size of 1g, you are only giving 2 g / 15 gallons, or .00004 g / mL. Assuming a duck drinks 100 mL per day, they are getting 4 mg per day. So because of the nature of the medicine you are using and the way you are using it the dose will vary.

2 scoops is in the range of a safe dose if they are eating 100 mL of the niacin water per day. It does not exceed the maximum dose.

But I would recommend maybe getting a B complete supplement that is designed to be administered in the water that way it is a controlled dose. But you seem to be in the range of a safe dose, but it depends how much water they drink or how much niacin gets absorved in their system. The goal is under 1 mg per day, with a maximum of 6 mg per day, and you are right around 4 mg assuming 100mL is how much they drink.

Sorry for the long confusing post.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Ok so originally I assumed you were giving 30 g but with the modified scoop size of 1g, you are only giving 2 g / 15 gallons, or .00004 g / mL. Assuming a duck drinks 100 mL per day, they are getting 4 mg per day. So because of the nature of the medicine you are using and the way you are using it the dose will vary.

2 scoops is in the range of a safe dose if they are eating 100 mL of the niacin water per day. It does not exceed the maximum dose.

But I would recommend maybe getting a B complete supplement that is designed to be administered in the water that way it is a controlled dose. But you seem to be in the range of a safe dose, but it depends how much water they drink or how much niacin gets absorved in their system. The goal is under 1 mg per day, with a maximum of 6 mg per day, and you are right around 4 mg assuming 100mL is how much they drink.

Sorry for the long confusing post.

It's not confusing; thank you for the help! Do you have a B supplement designed for water that you recommend?

 

[Banana01]

It's not confusing; thank you for the help! Do you have a B supplement designed for water that you recommend?

Good question, I checked against the vitamins I give and I was wrong for recommending a b complex.

The way you are giving the drug (Niacin) is correct, as Niacin alone is indicated to be used for a dietary supplement like you are giving it daily as a supplement. The B-complex powder I use contains 1% niacin, and the dose is indicated for only 3 to 5 days, so a B complex would not be suitable to give everyday as a supplement, even though some of the individual ingredients may be safe everyday. So my recommendation was wrong about using a B complex everyday. Since you asked I checked and it makes sense, there are about a dozen other vitamins and minerals in a complex and not all of them can be given a long time. I only give it about once a month to the flock.


But just to check the math and recap, the B complex that contains 1% Niacin indicates 2g / gallon, or 0.0005 g/mL, which is 0.00001 g Niacin / mL.

Assuming 100 mL per day per duckling, the B complex I give supplies 1mg of Niacin, which is exactly the target dose, so the assumptions above are all correct. At 2 scoops, you are well within the safe 1mg to 6mg per day range (4 mg / 100 mL).

A b-complex, unlike Niacin alone, is not indicated for daily use, so better to stick with the niacin alone.

 

[WhiteTreeOfGondor]

Good question, I checked against the vitamins I give and I was wrong for recommending a b complex.

The way you are giving the drug (Niacin) is correct, as Niacin alone is indicated to be used for a dietary supplement like you are giving it daily as a supplement. The B-complex powder I use contains 1% niacin, and the dose is indicated for only 3 to 5 days, so a B complex would not be suitable to give everyday as a supplement, even though some of the individual ingredients may be safe everyday. So my recommendation was wrong about using a B complex everyday. Since you asked I checked and it makes sense, there are about a dozen other vitamins and minerals in a complex and not all of them can be given a long time. I only give it about once a month to the flock.


But just to check the math and recap, the B complex that contains 1% Niacin indicates 2g / gallon, or 0.0005 g/mL, which is 0.00001 g Niacin / mL.

Assuming 100 mL per day per duckling, the B complex I give supplies 1mg of Niacin, which is exactly the target dose, so the assumptions above are all correct. At 2 scoops, you are well within the safe 1mg to 6mg per day range (4 mg / 100 mL).

A b-complex, unlike Niacin alone, is not indicated for daily use, so better to stick with the niacin alone.

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Oh ok, I'll stick with the powder then. I do keep a liquid B Complex on hand in case of any noticeable deficiencies. I've never seen the one you use, I'll look it up. Thanks again!

 

[raingarden]

Hopefully, I haven't messed up too badly. I've been putting that same niacin supplement in the duckling food.

Almost all of the water they get is either splashed on the floor or gets so nasty it has to be dumped out so it would be difficult to measure. They clean up the food fairly well though.