Help!! what do I feed my ducklings?

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ducklover1243

ducklover1243

In the Brooder
8 Years
Apr 12, 2011
34
2
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I have four ducklings from metzer (cayuga and khaki campbell) and I have had them on layer mash and I heard this was wrong. I am switching them to nutrena unmedicated chick feed, and was wondering if that is the appropriate feed for two week old ducklings (because I have heard chick feed is bad)? I also would like to know what feed to switch them to after they are too old for this feed, and when to switch the feed ( I am NOT planning on eating them when they grow up, so is that considered a "layer"?) thanks for the help, Liana:)
 
chick feed is perfectly fine as long as it is not medicated. If it is medicated then they will overdose because ducks eat more then chickens. But if you have medicated, you're perfectly fine!!
 
My two Pekin ducks (who are pets) were raised on non-medicated game bird crumbles. The texture of the game bird crumbles is very similar to chick starter, but of course without the medication which can easily kill ducklings. As my ducklings grew, I switched them to (chicken) layer pellets for their adult life and they have done very well....they are now ten years old and healthy!
 
My ducks have always been on whatever my hens/chicks are on including medicated, nonmedicated and laying mash. I have never had a problem with any of my ducks. They are better layers than my chickens!
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Liana - the product used to medicate feed now is safe for ducks. You can just check the package of what you buy to make sure it is medicated with Amprolium - anything else and you should check with the manufacturers of the product.

With my ducklings- their first feed is a starter crumble- then at 2- 3 weeks I change to a grower crumble. It is pretty much the same but different levels of protein and a bigger size crumbled pellet. They eat the same as the flock once they are integrated at 7- 8 weeks old which is a layer pellet manufactured for chickens. Specifically manufactured Duck food is better if you can get it- but like where I get my feed from - a lot of places dont stock products that are slow to move when they differ so little from other feeds available. .
 
I have 6 little ducklings and all i did was mash some layer pellets and they are now 5 weeks old and bigger than ever. and i just but them on non mashed layer pellets i also have a little one (he's not mine) who is 2 weeks old that i have on chick feed and isn't as big as mine were when they were 2 weeks old. so i would say mash layer pellets and give that to them.
 

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