Niacin Deficiency in Waterfowl

[AzDuck]

I find it easier to separate the duckling that might be showing problems since if you have five ducks eating a bowl of treats there is a good chance one might not be getting any while the other is getting a lot, if that makes sense. Giving it to the other ducklings would not hurt them though.

If you start giving them the B complex on a daily basis there would be no need to continue the nutritional yeast, more doesn't mean better, they can only absorb so much, the excess will be expelled with their waste.

Going to pick it up from TSC in a few hours! Thank you so much again

 

[Spiase20]

I've been giving my ducks Naicin in their food since I got them as ducklings. They are almost 8 months old, is this something I should keep doing their whole life?

 

[Isaac 0]

I've been giving my ducks Naicin in their food since I got them as ducklings. They are almost 8 months old, is this something I should keep doing their whole life?

Niacin deficiency isn't as common once they are full-grown so usually just feeding them a duck feed is adequate enough, there are however a few people who continue the brewer's yeast, and sprinkle it on their feed occasionally, really wouldn't be a bad idea if you have a heavyweight breed.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Excellent information!

 

[Ratchnick]

This needs to get stickied, someone must know an admin!

 

[Isaac 0]

This needs to get stickied, someone must know an admin!

I believe it is already a sticky thread.

 

[Ratchnick]

Oh i looked, guess I'm blind!

 

[DucksOhio]

I do that too as a preventative measure, not for treatment.

Agreed, but how often, and with water or treats? My ducks love their treats first. With the B supplement, I have a pink thick solution. Can that be mixed directly into, say, peas?

 

[Isaac 0]

Agreed, but how often, and with water or treats? My ducks love their treats first. With the B supplement, I have a pink thick solution. Can that be mixed directly into, say, peas?

In my personal opinion, I find it easier to sprinkle brewers yeast or nutritional yeast on the feed, I'm sure you have smelt the B complex, it does not smell very good at all, so ducks may avoid the water more because of the taste, again that is my personal preference, I have done the B complex in water, with some batches and they showed no disgust towards the water, it may vary with some birds.

As a preventative measure, it could be mixed in with treats or water, and offered every few days. Just a few drops over treats should be sufficient

 

[Isaac 0]

Here is a link regarding the daily nutritional requirements a duck needs, for all growth stages. This is good for determining, that your feed has the right amount of niacin content for ducks.

https://www.metzerfarms.com/NutritionalRequirements.cfm

It is not uncommon for only one bird to be affected by a deficiency in niacin out of the whole flock, this may be due to genetics or the microflora in their gut.


"Variability within a flock is normal. Each bird varies on how well it forms niacin from tryptophan, either due to genetics or the different microflora in their gut. It would not be unusual to have a single flock of birds, with some exhibiting a niacin deficiency and others walking perfectly normally - but all eating the same feed."

https://metzerfarms.blogspot.com/2011/03/are-my-ducklings-leg-problems-due-to.html


"Different strains of chickens have different niacin requirements (McDowell, 2000). A chicken strain that requires a high amount of niacin has a higher level of liver picolinic acid carboxylase activity than a strain with a low niacin requirement."

https://www.dsm.com/markets/anh/en_US/Compendium/poultry/niacin.html