Which feed?

[Amiga]

needafarm, I love your approach to your husband's negative feedback!

I agree with Hattiegun, 30% is much higher than the recommended 20% for up to 2 weeks, dropping a couple of percent every few weeks until the adults are getting about 16% (I am thinking this is when the weather is not too harsh, when they are not laying heavily, etc.)

Holderread recommends using oats (not always a favorite, but he writes that they generally get used to it) to increase fiber and reduce protein where that is appropriate.

I am impressed with the level of concern and commitment on this forum. Great bunch!

 

[Wifezilla]

I'm not familiar with turkey feed so I'm not sure if that will work.

I feed game bird grower. It is also advertised as a turkey grower. My ducks do very well on it. I also give them daily greens. They get a morning bucket of lettuce, peas, cabbage, celery tops or whatever produce scraps we have in water.​

 

[Barry]

I bought a 25 lb.bag of turkey starter for my guineas. The label listed the meds and minerals. I can not remember everything in it but arsenic was a trace mineral and the protein was about 25%. It was NOT recommended for ducks. I still have about 15 lbs for the mice to eat.
I remember reading about avoiding excessively high protein or your ducks can get "Angel Wing", what ever that is.
Your best bet is to find duck starter somewhere.

 

[Wifezilla]

I remember reading about avoiding excessively high protein or your ducks can get "Angel Wing", what ever that is.

There are 2 theories as to the cause of angel wing. One is excess protein. The other is excess carbohydrates. I believe it is excess carbohydrates since the natural diet of a wild duckling is VERY high in protein and they DO NOT get angel wing.

"Technically, if you feed ducks bread, you are actually helping to kill them. As we’ve said before, a diet mostly of bread doesn’t provide the right kind of nutrition for wild ducks and other birds to remain healthy.

Now, in Eugene, Oregon, they are finding that the wings of waterfowl are becoming deformed from a steady diet of bread that is too high in carbohydrates. The deformity makes birds’ feathers grow faster than their wing bones.

Nearly a year ago in Spokane the Parks and Recreation Department launched an extensive educational campaign to let people know how feeding wild ducks and especially feeding them bread is one of the worst things you can do for the ducks.

At the time there was significant media coverage of the campaign. We also implemented an Adopt-a-Duck Plan and found new homes for 40 domestic ducks in the Manito pond that were unable to fly. Now we are finding other medical reasons why feeding waterfowl bread is one of the worst things you can do.

When a young bird eats calorie-dense, nutritionally poor foods — like bread — the growth of its feathers outpaces the development of its wing bones. Gravity pulls the heavy feathers down, and the growing bones twist outward, resulting in a syndrome known as “Angel Wing.” Bandages and physical therapy can correct the condition in young birds, but it is incurable in adults, and affected birds lose the ability to fly."
http://www.spokanecity.org/services/articles/?ArticleID=1850​