Vet Visit! New Food?

[Dandy's mom]

OK So I took my Dandy to the vet yesterday. I was worried about her intermittent noisy breathing. (Not exactly wheezing, but audible) She said Dandy was fine, took some stool samples to get checked and said that general chick grower doesn't have enough protein. I needed to have her on specific food for water fowl. I live kind of out in the boonies, and the feed stores near me don't have anything specific for water fowl. Is there something I can just mix in the general chick grower to make it work? (I have a 20lb bag we just bought) The bag says 18% on protein in the nutritional info. (She eats nothing but her feed right now. Still trying to find treats she likes)

 

[Knighstar679]

Eggs, living mealworms, or earthworms, maybe crickets?

 

[Haydog03]

Hi! I'm new to BYC, and ducks in gerneral, lol! This may not help, but this is the only advice I got... my duckling's didn't really like watermelon, but for some reason we really needed them to eat it (I think, at the time, we thought they needed something watermelons had), but they despised it... nearly ran at the sight! We crushed the watermelon up, and put it under the top coat of their food, and mixed it with their food; they devoured it! I hope it works for you! If Dandy is the duck in profile picture, she's adorable!

 

[casportpony]

OK So I took my Dandy to the vet yesterday. I was worried about her intermittent noisy breathing. (Not exactly wheezing, but audible) She said Dandy was fine, took some stool samples to get checked and said that general chick grower doesn't have enough protein. I needed to have her on specific food for water fowl. I live kind of out in the boonies, and the feed stores near me don't have anything specific for water fowl. Is there something I can just mix in the general chick grower to make it work? (I have a 20lb bag we just bought) The bag says 18% on protein in the nutritional info. (She eats nothing but her feed right now. Still trying to find treats she likes)

Welcome to BYC! Did the vet suggest a protein percentage?

 

[Dandy's mom]

Eggs, living mealworms, or earthworms, maybe crickets?

I haven't seen living meal worms, but she won't eat the dried ones, and only tortures earth worms then walks away.

 

[Dandy's mom]

Welcome to BYC! Did the vet suggest a protein percentage?

No percentage amount, just that it needs to be more than a general chick grower because apparently that's for chickens and not enough for ducks.

 

[snow5164]

Hi and welcome !
I love my vets ,but they are free to give their opinions , which I don’t like .

If she has a percentage of protein ducks should be on, please share it !

It isn’t always fees able for us country folks to find duck food , and besides what if we’ve got chickens in there too??

Chick grower comes in many different percentages, call them we need answers

I like to just receive just facts please

 

[casportpony]

No percentage amount, just that it needs to be more than a general chick grower because apparently that's for chickens and not enough for ducks.

You could try mixing some turkey starter with it. More importantly, though, chick starter doesn't have enough niacin for ducklings.

• http://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html
• http://www.metzerfarms.com/NutritionalRequirements.cfm?affiliate=undef&CustID=21929473

 

[snow5164]

I haven't seen living meal worms, but she won't eat the dried ones, and only tortures earth worms then walks away.

I had a meal worm farm in an aquarium years ago , you can get them online or in pet stores that have reptiles usually .

They stink , but they do love them

I thought til 20 weeks duck starter then layer is ok?? How old is this duck??

 

[Knighstar679]

I haven't seen living meal worms, but she won't eat the dried ones, and only tortures earth worms then walks away.

You can order them online through reptile places or places like petco or pet smart carry them.