New ducklings are here! Question about Niacin

[JHDucks]

New ducklings arrived from McMurray on Wed. We're feeding them Dumour 22% protein with niacin duck crumbles. Should I be adding additional niacin to their diet at this point?

 

[Lor]

I'm wondering the same thing so will be watching this thread.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

OK, the Dumor contains about 35.5 mg/kg of Niacin, minimum (per label).

That works out to about 12.5 mg day effective for the average adult duck - adequate to the average duck's needs. Chicks eat less, but also need less - it should hit targets for everything but some pekins, where its borderline due to their rapid growth (partially offset by their ability to consume feed - basically the Cx of the duck world, without the severe health issues)

If you do decide to add more niacin (because you have a bunch of Pekins, for instance), do NOT use nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is almost 50% protein, and the protein here is already very high - you risk increased chances of angel wing if the muscles start to bulk up before the tendons and bone structure are more developed.

Using a vitamin booster in the water would be the better approach in this case.

 

[JHDucks]

OK, the Dumor contains about 35.5 mg/kg of Niacin, minimum (per label).

That works out to about 12.5 mg day effective for the average adult duck - adequate to the average duck's needs. Chicks eat less, but also need less - it should hit targets for everything but some pekins, where its borderline due to their rapid growth (partially offset by their ability to consume feed - basically the Cx of the duck world, without the severe health issues)

If you do decide to add more niacin (because you have a bunch of Pekins, for instance), do NOT use nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast is almost 50% protein, and the protein here is already very high - you risk increased chances of angel wing if the muscles start to bulk up before the tendons and bone structure are more developed.

Using a vitamin booster in the water would be the better approach in this case.

Thank you so much! We have 1 Pekin in the dozen, so we'll keep feeding them this food without adding Niacin. I've read you can feed them the same crumble, but add oats after 2-3
Weeks to cut down the protein. Have you had success with this? Or should I switch to a lower protein crumble? I only can find lower protein chick feed (unmedicated), which I assume I would have to add Niacin to?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have not hatched ducks in a while. My general recommend would be a 20% protein all flock or flock raiser type formulation

 

[Facada]

We used the same Dumor feed and have several ducks and goslings that were clearly niacin deficient.

We picked up vitamin b3/niacin drops on Amazon and have been adding it to the water, as well as brewer’s yeast to the food and it’s helped almost all of them.

Definitely add niacin!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Goslings absolutely. Their niacin needs are much higher than that of ducks. Ducks need roughly twice as much as chickens. I'd have been very surprised if your goslings were not deficient on any feed not intended for goslings.

What breed of ducks?

 

[ruthhope]

I disagree with one concern that @U_Stormcrow raised. It is commonly believed that too much protein causes angel wing. However, the evidence is the reverse. That is a poor diet, rich in empty carbs -- such as white bread -- are associated with increased incidence of angel wing. I have undertaken an extensive literature review and there is no published direct evidence from case controlled research matching different dietary protein levels in similar batches of ducklings. The evidence is epidemiological. Ducklings raised on ponds and rivers in public parks -- where people go and feed the ducks -- have a greater incidence of angel wing than ucks raised domestically or agriculturally using commercial duck feed. There is likely to be a genetic element too.

I always use up the bag of high protein starter crumbles and then move on to duck pellets when it is finished. Pekins, particularly, grow so fast that they need high protein for healthy growth.

So I suggest that you don't start cutting protein levels by adding oats. Just use up the bag of starter crumbles. If you are still worried about protein levels, mix the starter crumbles with duck pellets not oats

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I disagree with one concern that @U_Stormcrow raised. It is commonly believed that too much protein causes angel wing. However, the evidence is the reverse. That is a poor diet, rich in empty carbs -- such as white bread -- are associated with increased incidence of angel wing. I have undertaken an extensive literature review and there is no published direct evidence from case controlled research matching different dietary protein levels in similar batches of ducklings. The evidence is epidemiological. Ducklings raised on ponds and rivers in public parks -- where people go and feed the ducks -- have a greater incidence of angel wing than ucks raised domestically or agriculturally using commercial duck feed. There is likely to be a genetic element too.

I always use up the bag of high protein starter crumbles and then move on to duck pellets when it is finished. Pekins, particularly, grow so fast that they need high protein for healthy growth.

So I suggest that you don't start cutting protein levels by adding oats. Just use up the bag of starter crumbles. If you are still worried about protein levels, mix the starter crumbles with duck pellets not oats

I'll find the study for you. But you are correct that a high carb diet, particularly white bread from people at ponds thinking they are doing the birds of favor, is far more likely to cause angel wing than excess protein.