What to feed ducks?

[The Quackster]

Hello! I’m new here and new to owning ducks!

I have 3 female Saxony ducklings that are currently two weeks old. I have been feeding them Dumor chick starter/grower the first week and have switched them to Purina duck feed that I blend up to smaller pieces. I’ve been told to feed them Chicken layer crumbles from week 3-forever, but have been asking around for other opinions. Anything I try to google seems very confusing. Wouldn’t feeding them any type of layer feed when they aren’t laying be too much calcium? What brand do you recommend and when should I switch their food again?

Thank you in advanced to anyone who replies with any help! I really appreciate it and so do my girls!

 

[Jenbirdee]

AWWW so cute.
Absolutely NO Layer feed until they almost start laying (around 5 months)
and even then, If you use Layer feed, it wont have enough niacin for ducks, so you will have to always add niacin to the feed. you can use nutritional yeast 1 tbsp for each cup of food.
You need to give them niacin either as nutritional yeast or brewers yeast on their food right now, if youve been feeding chick starter. even if you are feeding the duck feed now, i would still add the extra niacin via one of the yeasts i mentioned, for a while, to help them catch up.
and ducklings should not have medicated feed.
Its better to use the duck food, its made for ducks.
around 5 months age you can give a bowl of oyster shell flakes or crushed on the side. they will eat as much calcium as their body tells them to.
I feed mine mazuri waterfowl feed,
they also eat Nutrena naturewise All flock pellets, because I have chickens in the same yard with the ducks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[nuthatched]

They can't have layer feed until they're laying and normal 16% layer feed is a bit low in the protein department for ducks.
They can ear unmedicated chick feed with extra niacin such as nutritional yeast mixed in.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I’ve been told to feed them Chicken layer crumbles from week 3-forever, but have been asking around for other opinions

Welcome to BYC!

That was very POOR information.. but here is accurate nutrition requirements from a trusted resource for ALL life stages..

https://www.metzerfarms.com/nutritional-requirements.html

ETA: I fed Purina Flock Raiser full time for all life stages successfully with the ONLY supplementation being oyster shell available on the side for active layers.

 

[The Quackster]

AWWW so cute.
Absolutely NO Layer feed until they almost start laying (around 5 months)
and even then, If you use Layer feed, it wont have enough niacin for ducks, so you will have to always add niacin to the feed. you can use nutritional yeast 1 tbsp for each cup of food.
You need to give them niacin either as nutritional yeast or brewers yeast on their food right now, if youve been feeding chick starter. even if you are feeding the duck feed now, i would still add the extra niacin via one of the yeasts i mentioned, for a while, to help them catch up.
and ducklings should not have medicated feed.
Its better to use the duck food, its made for ducks.
around 5 months age you can give a bowl of oyster shell flakes or crushed on the side. they will eat as much calcium as their body tells them to.
I feed mine mazuri waterfowl feed,
they also eat Nutrena naturewise All flock pellets, because I have chickens in the same yard with the ducks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

Thank you! I have been also adding extra niacin Into their water! Their legs seem to be strong so far! What should I continue feeding them on week 3 - etc? I don’t want them ending up developing angle wing either! I’m looking for something that people have fed theirs before and have had good success with!

 

[CoriM]

Great that you're adding niacin, but it can get diluted in water so that they don't get the proper amount. Better to add it onto their food and make sure they consumer it all. The little duck in the water is standing pigeon-toed, maybe it was just for a moment, but their legs will turn in like that if not getting the proper amount of niacin, so try adding it to their food and keep a close eye on it.

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Purina duck can be fed to all stages and they sell it at Tractor Supply. I have been using it for several years with good success. Mazuri feeds are supposed to be excellent, just harder for me to get.

 

[The Quackster]

Purina duck can be fed to all stages and they sell it at Tractor Supply. I have been using it for several years with good success. Mazuri feeds are supposed to be excellent, just harder for me to get.

Thank you, that’s really good to hear! Do you add extra niacin to yours?

 

[cheezenkwackers]

Thank you, that’s really good to hear! Do you add extra niacin to yours?

I add nutritional yeast (1T per cup) for the first month or two to ducklings. I know it is in the food but I figure it can’t hurt.

 

[The Quackster]

I add nutritional yeast (1T per cup) for the first month or two to ducklings. I know it is in the food but I figure it can’t hurt.

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it