What should I be feeding drakes?

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ClaireDucks

ClaireDucks

Hatching
Oct 6, 2015
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I am new to keeping ducks - it is a diversification of my chook flock. I have two 1 year old Pekin drakes. What should I feed them? Currently they are offered the layer mash for my chooks (which they only occasionally nibble), wheat, small amounts of table scraps and they free range through the garden. Am I feeding them the right things? Nervous first time duck mum here. Thanks for the advice.
 
Welcome!

Sounds like you are doing well by them. There is some difference of opinion about drakes and layer feed. Some folks feed it, some folks feed it with other things, like you are doing, some feed a flock raiser and give the girls free choice oyster shell on the side.

In my flock the free choice oyster shell was not enough to prevent soft eggs from a number of my ducks, so everyone eats layer, and everyone gets a chance to forage for worms and plants, and gets treats from time to time.

One vet told me that to her recollection the warning about too much calcium was not drawn from a study of waterfowl, but of a different kind of bird. So, you're within the range of what's being practiced. Sometimes we have to go with our gut, I think.
 
Thanks for the advice, I feel a touch more confident now. There is heaps of info on what to feed ducks (females) but next to nothing concrete with the boys.
 
I think that's because we don't really have the data. I also strongly suspect that some are more susceptible to dietary things than others. Like ducklings - some get lame, or have seizures, eating chick starter only without niacin supplements. Others seem fine. Go figure.
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@Amiga is always right it seems :). There is a lot of different opinions on what to feed your flock. I think you should read as much as you can, try out what you think you should do, and go from there. I have 6 females and two males. It made more sense to me to cater to the females since there are more of them. I feed Purena Layena as the pellets available to the whole flock. I do not supplement at this time with oyster shell. I offer hard wheat free choice, fruit and veggie scraps daily, and free range choice of our garden greens and 1/3 acres worth of yummy bugs. I have never had a soft shelled egg, and the boys are very healthy on the layers pellets. Here's the thing though - once the weather cools, I may need to change what I'm doing. If they start eating more pellets as their grazing options lessen, the males might be getting too much calcium. I will watch them carefully and change if needed. I am putting all of our extra squash shredded in the freezer to give during the winter. I am looking into more options for the winter - some people offer corn before bed to help keep them warm, some offer chopped peanuts. I'm not sure, but I will probably try one of those things.
 
jducour said:
@Amiga is always right it seems :). There is a lot of different opinions on what to feed your flock. I think you should read as much as you can, try out what you think you should do, and go from there. I have 6 females and two males. It made more sense to me to cater to the females since there are more of them. I feed Purena Layena as the pellets available to the whole flock. I do not supplement at this time with oyster shell. I offer hard wheat free choice, fruit and veggie scraps daily, and free range choice of our garden greens and 1/3 acres worth of yummy bugs. I have never had a soft shelled egg, and the boys are very healthy on the layers pellets. Here's the thing though - once the weather cools, I may need to change what I'm doing. If they start eating more pellets as their grazing options lessen, the males might be getting too much calcium. I will watch them carefully and change if needed. I am putting all of our extra squash shredded in the freezer to give during the winter. I am looking into more options for the winter - some people offer corn before bed to help keep them warm, some offer chopped peanuts. I'm not sure, but I will probably try one of those things.
Click to expand...
Chopped peanuts I hadn't heard of that. I am cutting back on layer now since my ducks are through laying for the year. Soon all will be only on maintenance till Feb. when my geese start their breeding cycle. Then I'll start back with Layer. I always have Oyster shell out since I have some chickens that will lay over winter. I do offer whole corn in winter months in the late afternoon to help them through the cold nights.
 
Miss Lydia said:
Chopped peanuts I hadn't heard of that. I am cutting back on layer now since my ducks are through laying for the year. Soon all will be only on maintenance till Feb. when my geese start their breeding cycle. Then I'll start back with Layer. I always have Oyster shell out since I have some chickens that will lay over winter. I do offer whole corn in winter months in the late afternoon to help them through the cold nights.
Click to expand...
My girls should keep laying through most of the winter - I offer supplemental light in their coop so it makes up for the shorter days outside. There hasn't been a decrease in production yet, but I will wait to see if that decreases as the days get colder.
 
jducour said:
My girls should keep laying through most of the winter - I offer supplemental light in their coop so it makes up for the shorter days outside. There hasn't been a decrease in production yet, but I will wait to see if that decreases as the days get colder.
Click to expand...
The difference between other domestics and Muscovy's. At least I still have a few chickens who will be nice enough to give me a few eggs over winter but they are all getting up in age too so we'll have to wait and see.
 
jducour said:
@Amiga
is always right it seems :).  There is a lot of different opinions on what to feed your flock.  I think you should read as much as you can, try out what you think you should do, and go from there.  I have 6 females and two males.  It made more sense to me to cater to the females since there are more of them.  I feed Purena Layena as the pellets available to the whole flock.  I do not supplement at this time with oyster shell.  I offer hard wheat free choice, fruit and veggie scraps daily, and free range choice of our garden greens and 1/3 acres worth of yummy bugs.  I have never had a soft shelled egg, and the boys are very healthy on the layers pellets.  Here's the thing though - once the weather cools, I may need to change what I'm doing.  If they start eating more pellets as their grazing options lessen, the males might be getting too much calcium.  I will watch them carefully and change if needed.  I am putting all of our extra squash shredded in the freezer to give during the winter.  I am looking into more options for the winter - some people offer corn before bed to help keep them warm, some offer chopped peanuts.  I'm not sure, but I will probably try one of those things. 
Click to expand...


Peanuts aren't entirely okay for ducks it would be like u eating chocolate chips everyday, peanuts are full of fats, they are healthy fats to people but birds can't have a lot of fats
 

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