What do you feed your ducks? (Problems with locating a good feed :( )

[Birdydeb]

I have 5 WH ducks and one drake. Also have one Tufted Buff goose( my gander died leaving me with only the goose) They are fifteen weeks old. I have fed TSC Dumor feed since I got them and added Brewer's Yeast until they were around 8 weeks old. I cannot say enough about how I HATE TSC! I also have chickens and in just this short period of time I have bought at least 3 bags of feed that had some kind of nasty moldy CRAP in it. That plus the fact that my closest TSC has truly uncaring and at times smart alecky employees....I decided I would not go back. That left me with the Farm Bureau which is a Southern States. The only feed they carry with the lower protein level (I think it was 14%) is also a layer feed with 3.45% calcium. A local friend facing the same problem says she has been feeding that to her chickens and ducks, hens, roosters, drakes....everybody for a couple years with no problems. She is mixing it 50/50 with a bag of scratch grains. Last week I decided to do the same and bought 1 bag of each. Ducks and chickens all seem to like it and seems to be no problems switching over. But the more I read the more I am freaking over my roosters and my drake getting unneeded calcium. Any suggestions? I have had NO health issues with any of my flock to this point. And I have read what everyone feeds till it is all running together. It is hard to believe I am in a farming county and still don't have better choices. Unreal. But I think ducks just get left out in the whole scheme of things.

 

[lomine]

I feed Purina Flock Raiser to my flock. I currently have laying ducks and 5 month old chickens, including a cockerel. I put out a dish with oyster shell that the ducks eat when they need more calcium. A "flock raiser" or "all flock" feed is good for mixed flocks. Scratch has a lot of corn so be careful with that (they could gain too much weight).

 

[GoudaBirds]

between the chickens and the ducks, my birds free range the whole yard and all get a customized mixed feed that is some oat/barley/crumble concoction and I also toss them some cracked corn throughout the day. They used to get Flock Raiser but it really seemed like they would gobble it down so fast they'd almost choke on it, plus I found it was wasted a lot when it got dumped over and trampled on and I'm not paying $20 a bag for wasted feed. Now I toss the food into the clean grass so they have to slow down and kind of dig for it, plus it's not all crumbles so it doesn't disappear and get all squashed if they happen to step on it in the process.

 

[bydhatch]

I feed my ducks Purina (organic because I have spoiled ducks) crumbles. The protein is just right and they seem to love it. You can find it at TSC. Although I would have to agree with your TSC review.

 

[Birdydeb]

Thanks for all the input....I absolutely appreciate it. Still pretty limited in what I can find around here unless I go back to TSC. So will keep working on it. There is a mill but my friend told me when she went that route, she found a dead bird in a bag of grains. I guess I am just too picky but I just want the best possible feed that is healthy and doesn't break the bank. If SS had an all flock feed, problem over. I can easily feed oyster shell and was. Oh, and the SS layer feed is actually 16% protein and 4.85% calcium. That calcium just seems like way too high for my drake and roosters. I think SS has a finisher with 20% protein so I have considered cutting the protein level of that by adding grains. I think there is a thread discussing something like this...off to search.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

I have 5 WH ducks and one drake. Also have one Tufted Buff goose( my gander died leaving me with only the goose) They are fifteen weeks old. I have fed TSC Dumor feed since I got them and added Brewer's Yeast until they were around 8 weeks old. I cannot say enough about how I HATE TSC! I also have chickens and in just this short period of time I have bought at least 3 bags of feed that had some kind of nasty moldy CRAP in it. That plus the fact that my closest TSC has truly uncaring and at times smart alecky employees....I decided I would not go back. That left me with the Farm Bureau which is a Southern States. The only feed they carry with the lower protein level (I think it was 14%) is also a layer feed with 3.45% calcium. A local friend facing the same problem says she has been feeding that to her chickens and ducks, hens, roosters, drakes....everybody for a couple years with no problems. She is mixing it 50/50 with a bag of scratch grains. Last week I decided to do the same and bought 1 bag of each. Ducks and chickens all seem to like it and seems to be no problems switching over. But the more I read the more I am freaking over my roosters and my drake getting unneeded calcium.

Any suggestions? I have had NO health issues with any of my flock to this point. And I have read what everyone feeds till it is all running together. It is hard to believe I am in a farming county and still don't have better choices. Unreal. But I think ducks just get left out in the whole scheme of things.

Hey I feed mine Natures Best organic layer from TSC but my one is very nice, always helpful, one guy that works there is even a duck owner! As for moldy feed, I once got one, but they took it back and gave me a full refund so no problems there... and now I smell every bag in the store before I get it.
And your totally right. Most people have no idea duck even lay eggs. I one told someone I have ducks for eggs and he was like

LOL

 

[Birdydeb]

I get that all the time too! And this is a farming county. I haven't quite figured out what the very few people I know with ducks have them for. ??? Far better than the reaction I get when I say I can't wait for my ducks to lay is this question...."ducks lay eggs?" truthfully that usually comes from my city friends but makes ya' wonder. But the reaction is nearly universal when I say I can't wait for the goose to lay. "You're gonna eat a goose egg?" That comes from everybody and then I say yes..."why"? Why not? LOL

I think I have located a feed store that supposedly sells Nature's Best....hoping to check that out soon.

Wanted to add: If I had known most of what I know now....I would only have ducks and geese.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

I get that all the time too! And this is a farming county. I haven't quite figured out what the very few people I know with ducks have them for. ??? Far better than the reaction I get when I say I can't wait for my ducks to lay is this question...."ducks lay eggs?"

truthfully that usually comes from my city friends but makes ya' wonder. But the reaction is nearly universal when I say I can't wait for the goose to lay. "You're gonna eat a goose egg?" That comes from everybody and then I say yes..."why"? Why not? LOL

I think I have located a feed store that supposedly sells Nature's Best....hoping to check that out soon.

Wanted to add: If I had known most of what I know now....I would only have ducks and geese.

Thats EXACTLY what he said'' ducks lay eggs?''.

I would only have ducks too(want to try geese sometime, maybe in spring) but my mom likes chickens so...long as i dont have to take care of em all the time I cant complain.

Good luck with the food.

 

[lomine]

I've gotten the "Don't you need a male for the hens to lay?" And one lady thought the rooster fertilized the eggs after the hen laid it, as in he went to the nest and sprayed them like some kind of fish or something. Then there are those that think a chicken can lay like 5 or 6 eggs a day. There are even folks who don't understand that the eggs in grocery stores come from chickens. They have the idea that the eggs are made in a factory somewhere. I'll admit there are lots of details I learned right before or after getting ducks and chickens but I at least had a good grasp of where an egg comes from and what animals lay them. It's sad how far some people are removed from the origins of their food. Also a little scary.

 

[Bills vs Beaks]

I've gotten the "Don't you need a male for the hens to lay?" And one lady thought the rooster fertilized the eggs after the hen laid it, as in he went to the nest and sprayed them like some kind of fish or something. Then there are those that think a chicken can lay like 5 or 6 eggs a day. There are even folks who don't understand that the eggs in grocery stores come from chickens. They have the idea that the eggs are made in a factory somewhere. I'll admit there are lots of details I learned right before or after getting ducks and chickens but I at least had a good grasp of where an egg comes from and what animals lay them. It's sad how far some people are removed from the origins of their food. Also a little scary.

It is kinda scary too.
But I just keep thinking'' like a fish'' and it cracks me up