Ducks: Special Dietary Needs

Borrowed from Nutrena’s Scoop from the Coop Blog

https://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/ducks-special-dietary-needs/

Are you a chicken keeper who would like to add some ducks to your flock? Chickens and ducks have similar dietary needs, with some important differences. Free-ranging ducks may be able to eat a multi-poultry diet, but they will do better on a feed formulated to meet their specific nutritional requirements.

• Niacin: Ducks need higher levels of this vitamin than chickens. Too little can result in leg deformities.
• Protein: Ducks are omnivores, meaning they eat both animal and plant matter. A diet for ducks should be about 18% protein, some of which should come from animal sources.
• Calcium: Compared to chickens, ducks need less calcium. Too much can be harmful.
• Balanced diet: Laying ducks need certain vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. Also, an imbalanced diet can cause a condition called angel wing, which causes the flight feathers to twist upwards.
• Prebiotics and probiotics: These elements are important to the health of both the digestive and immune systems.
• Quality feed: Ducks are sensitive to mold toxins (mycotoxins) in their feed. To prevent mold growth after purchase, store your feed in a cool, dry location.
• Hard, small pellet: Ducks love to dabble, or dip their food in water while eating. Smaller pellets are easier for them to swallow than large pellets. Harder pellets hold together in water, which means less mess in their drinking water!

James Konecny of Royal Oaks Farm and owner of Lake Barrington Feed and Supply near Chicago breeds award-winning waterfowl by following these requirements in his feeding strategy: “For my waterfowl, I choose feeds that include animal protein from manufacturers that take measures to ensure low mycotoxin levels. I highly recommended hard mini-pellets over crumbles or mash; you’ll see less waste and improved digestion.” —James Konecney

You can give ducks a multi-purpose poultry feed, but why not choose a feed formulated especially for them? Nutrena’s Country Feeds Duck Feed is a complete, wholesome, balanced diet with the following important elements: a guaranteed minimum amount of niacin, prebiotics and probiotics to support digestion and immunity, vitamins and minerals for healthy egg production, small, hard pellets that are perfect for dabbling.

Help your ducks live their best lives with their own specially formulated diet: Nutrena’s Country Feeds Duck Feed!

 Protect Your Birds Against Avian Flu

Borrowed from Nutrena’s Scoop from the Coop Blog

By Jennifer Murtoff, Home to Roost LLC

https://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/protect-your-birds-against-avian-flu/

There are many different strains of viruses that cause avian influenza (AI). These viruses affect wild birds, waterfowl, backyard chickens, and commercial poultry. Most are not a big threat to you and your birds, but some strains are classified highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), meaning they cause high rates of death among chickens. These high rates of death can be especially devastating to the commercial poultry industry, so it’s important that backyard chicken keepers be aware of outbreaks of HPAI.

How can you keep your flock safe from the avian flu?

Avian flu and other infectious diseases can be transmitted by other animals, objects, or through the air. The key to keeping your birds from catching avian flu, or any contagious disease, is biosecurity, the practice of isolating your flock from direct or indirect contact with other birds to prevent them from getting an infectious disease.

Here are some steps you can take to prevent transmission of HPAI (or any other infectious disease). It’s a good practice to follow these tips on a regular basis, not just during an HPAI outbreak, however.

Take Measures Around Your Coop

• Shore up your run with hardware cloth to prevent wild birds from entering.
• Especially during outbreaks of HPAI or other highly pathogenic diseases, limit free ranging. You might want to build a bigger run and provide more enrichment.
• Remove spilled feed that might attract wild birds and other wildlife.

Keep Things Clean

• Clean feeders and waterers regularly.
• Clean and disinfect new tools and equipment (waterers, feeders, rakes, shovels, scoops, etc.) before you use them.
• When you clean the new items, prevent the runoff from reaching your coop.
• Clean and disinfect your coop regularly.
• Use a dedicated pair of shoes (and even clothing) to enter the chicken area.

Don’t Bring Diseases In

• Don’t share or reuse materials or equipment.
• If you interact with poultry that are not yours, disinfect yourself. Before getting in your car, spray down your shoes with a disinfectant approved by US EPA for use against avian influenza and other poultry diseases. When you return home, remove and wash your clothes, shower, and wash your hair before going to your coop.
• If you’ve been to a farm that has poultry, wash your car, including the undercarriage.
• If you hunt gamebirds (pheasants, grouse, waterfowl, etc.) for sport, be sure to thoroughly clean and disinfect any surfaces and items they may have come in contact with.
• Don’t allow people who have chickens to interact with your birds unless they are wearing disinfected shoes and newly laundered clothes. You may also ask them to use shoe covers or a footbath containing an approved disinfectant. Have them clean off large clumps of material before using the footbath.

Flock Maintenance

• Keep your birds separated by age and species. Some species and ages are more susceptible to certain disease-causing organisms.
• Quarantine new birds for at least 30 days.
• Keep a coop diary and log any changes (egg laying, symptoms, weight loss/gain, etc.)
• Observe your birds and know signs of illness.
• Report sick birds or high death rates over a short period of time.

Clinical Signs to Watch For

How do you know if your birds are sick? Watch for the following signs. These signs may not necessarily point to avian flu, but the first two especially are cause for immediate action.

• Sudden death with no clinical signs
• Many birds dying in a short period of time
• Lack of energy or appetite
• Stumbling or falling down
• Diarrhea
• Lack of coordination
• Nasal discharge, snicking, sneezing
• Legs, wattles, and comb turning purple
• Swelling around the face (head, comb, wattles, eyelids)
• Drop in egg production
• Misshapen or soft-shelled eggs

Report sick birds immediately. Contact your state’s animal health official immediately if you suspect avian flu. Follow the instructions they provide. You can also call the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.

What to Have on Hand

Keep the following readily available so you can effectively put them to use.

• Shoe or boot covers
• Disposable plastic gloves
• A disinfectant approved by U.S. EPA for use against avian influenza and other poultry diseases
• Information on signs to watch for
• Contact information of state or federal officials involved with poultry health

What to Do if a Bird Dies

Collect and preserve the body immediately. Place it in a plastic bag and cool the core by putting it in the refrigerator or in a cooler containing loose or bagged ice.

Contact your state’s animal health official immediately if you suspect avian flu. Follow the instructions they provide. You can also call the USDA toll-free at 1-866-536-7593.

More Information from the USDA

Check out the USDA’s Defend the Flock Resource Center for more information. It includes checklists, videos, and other resources at no charge.

 Making the Switch: Chick Feed to Layer Ration

Borrowed from Nutrena’s Scoop from the Coop Blog

 https://www.scoopfromthecoop.com/making-the-switch-chick-feed-to-layer-ration/

It’s always a big event when your chickens start to lay! You and your birds put so much hard work and dedication into that moment, and the feed you give your birds is an important part of that first egg, too. As your birds mature from fuzzy chicks into fully feathered adults, their nutritional needs change. The chick starter/grower they were eating now needs to be replaced with layer ration. How can you support this transition and help them live their best lives as laying hens?

Why do I need to switch?

The feed switch from chick starter/grower is critical for the health of your growing birds. So how do the needs of chicks and laying hens differ, and what are the differences between chick starter/grower and layer ration? The short answer is that chicks need feed that supports healthy growth, and hens need feed that supports healthy egg laying.

In their first months of life, chicks’ bodies experience a lot of changes. They need a feed focused on muscle and skeletal growth. Because chicks develop so quickly, their feed requires higher protein, more amino acids, and higher phosphorus levels to support growth. Giving chicks layer ration too soon can cause kidney or liver damage and growth problems.

Layers, on the other hand, need feed that supports egg production. Hens put lots of nutrients into eggs, and the vitamins and minerals that form the shell and its contents come from the hen’s diet. In addition, minerals like calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus are important for powering muscles to lay the egg. Adult laying hens also need higher levels of Vitamin D3 to support calcium absorption.

When should I switch?

Now that you know the why of switching from chick starter/grower to layer ration, let’s look at when. Most breeds start laying between 20 and 24 weeks of age. It’s important to start providing your hens with a quality layer feed before they begin laying. To prime your hen’s bodies for producing great eggs in the healthiest way possible, you should begin the switch to layer ration at around 16 weeks.

How do I make the transition easy?

Chickens are creatures of habit who like routines and continuity. Because chickens like things to be the same, it’s important to maintain consistency in nutrition. The best way to make a diet transition is to introduce the new food gradually. If you attempt to switch too quickly, you may see the following effects:

• Digestive upset: A new diet may cause intestinal distress. Signs include a change in the color and consistency of droppings: they may be darker or lighter, or drier or runnier. During a diet change, feeding too many treats also can cause digestive upset and affect the overall health of your birds.
• Refusal to eat: Chickens like things to be the same. It’s part of being a prey species. Their need for consistency includes their environment, flock mates, feeding times—and their diet. If you switch out a food all at once, they may not recognize the new feed and may stop eating altogether!
• Overall health decline: Birds who are not happy with their new feed may experience health effects or fail to thrive. They might eat less, thereby getting fewer nutrients. If they free range, they may eat too many things that do not contain the right nutrients, and their bodies will not be ready for the transition to laying.

Now that you know the importance of a gradual transition, you can keep in mind the following to help you transition from one feed to another.

• Taste and smell: Formulated feeds from different companies have different ingredients, and it may be easier to stay with one brand, rather than switching brands. For example, Nutrena’s new improved NatureWise line includes essential oils that improve the taste and smell of the feed. If you start your birds on NatureWise Chick Starter Grower, they may move more easily to NatureWise Layer Feed.
• Visual appearance: The shape of the feed is important, too. Birds are very visual creatures, so they will move more easily to a new feed that looks familiar. Most chick feeds are crumbles, so your birds likely will transition more easily to a feed in crumble form, rather than to a pellet.
• Nutritional quality: You also want to make sure the new feed is nutritionally similar to or better than your chick feed. If you are feeding a high-quality chick feed, you should seek to maintain the same level of quality in your layer feed. Or better yet, find a layer feed that offers more and better nutrition. A shift to a lower-quality diet could affect the health of your birds at a critical time in their lives.

What are best practices for switching from chick diet to layer feed?

So how do you switch you birds from chick starter/grower to layer ration? The following are some tips that will help make the transition as easy as possible. You should always start by reading and following the instructions on the manufacturer’s label. Nutrena recommends starting the transition at 16 weeks, and your birds should have made the transition by 18 to 20 weeks. Your chickens may be just fine with this transition, but just in case, we recommend the following protocol.

• Transition slowly: Mix 25% layer feed with 75% starter/grower feed for a week. Then change to 50% layer feed and 50% starter/grower feed, again for a week. Next, provide 75% layer feed and 25% starter/grower feed for a week. And then finally provide only layer feed.
• Observe your birds: Monitor the birds closely. Check their crops, watch them eat, and check the feed levels to make sure they are eating. If they are not fed too many treats, layer hens should self-regulate their diet, eating about a quarter pound (1/2 cup) of food per bird per day. You may also want to weigh them every few days. You will need to adjust if there is any sign of weight loss.
• Slow down the transition: If they stop eating or start losing weight, return to the previous percentages of new and old feed and continue for a few more days. Then try to increase the percentage, and continue increasing, but at a slower rate.
• Observe nutritional needs: The layer feed should provide about 90% of your hens’ diet. Limit scratch and treats to no more than 10% of their diet. Feeding too many treats reduces the amount of nutrition your birds get from their feed. Limit treats to every few days, and then feed only about 2 tablespoons.
• Be consistent: Your chickens need consistency, so provide them with fresh food and water at the same time each day, preferably morning and afternoon. They should have both feed and water available at all times.
• Offer extras: Provide grit—small pieces of granite or other stones—to help them grind up their feed. Also offer oyster shell or limestone, which is slow-release calcium, as opposed to the calcium in their feed, which is absorbed quickly by the body. These supplements should be provided free choice, in separate dishes from the feed, and available at all times. The birds are self-regulating and will eat as much grit and oyster shell/limestone as they need.
• Remember water: Fresh water is important to proper egg formation; eggs are mostly water. Make sure your birds have water at all times, even during the winter.

How do I choose a layer ration?

How do you select a layer ration for your birds? First, think about your expectations for your birds and find a feed that will fit those needs. You have a number of options, from bare-minimum feeds that offer very basic nutrition to feeds that are finely crafted for top performance.

For backyard flock owners, the goal is usually eggs. If this is your goal, choose a layer diet that will support your pullets as they make the transition to layers and prepare them to live healthy, productive lives. At the very least look for the minimum requirements of layer feed—16% protein, 0.70% lysine, 0.30% methionine, 3.0% calcium, and 0.40% phosphorus.

Some premium feeds provide additional ingredients for optimal flock performance. For example, in addition to providing a solid nutritional foundation, Nutrena NatureWise includes the following:

• Pre/probiotics support good bacteria, prevent colonization of bad bacteria, and aid with absorption of nutrients.
• Yeast culture supports the immune system and gut microflora.
•  Essential oils are plant extracts that provide several benefits: provide nutrition to support healthy immunity, maximize egg production, support healthy digestion, encourage healthy growth/bone formation, enable superior eggshell strength, and enhance feed taste and freshness.
• Vitamin D3, an important vitamin related to calcium absorption, has the following roles: helps body absorb and use calcium, improves hardness of eggshells, supports stronger bones, and contributes to eggs that contain 37% more D3 than eggs from chickens fed a standard diet.
• Tagetes meal (Aztec marigold) helps the hens produce golden egg yolks.
• Yucca schidigera extract reduces the amount of ammonia in your hens’ droppings, which minimizes coop odor.

In addition to these important ingredients, if you’re feeding NatureWise Chick Starter Grower, make sure you transition to NatureWise Layer Feeds. Your birds will make the switch more easily due to the continuity of nutrition and diet formulation.

As you move your chicks from chick starter/grower to layer ration, remember these tips to make the transition easier. Also consider the benefits of a premium feed with valuable additives to help your birds become healthy, productive hens who are living their best lives!