ill

[duck mad 2012]

hi all i just need some help with my ducks i live in the uk.
i feel like iam feeding my ducks the wrong things there main diet is mixed corn and they have treats such as greens mealworms, veg. i feel as if there not getting enough.
also one of my ducks became ill and went unwaterproof sadly he died last monday

but my other duck is no beomeing unwaterproof any help please please, is there anything i can put in his food/water to help him with his natural oils?
please help

 

[Amiga]

There is much to learn about raising ducks. Sorry for your loss. We can offer some ideas.

Ducks need a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Corn is okay as a treat sometimes, but not as a main source of food.

You can get poultry vitamins and that is what I would do right away. I can get a powder that lasts a long time for just a few dollars.

Also, find a feedstore that sells poultry food. Depending on the age and sex of your duck, it would be starter, grower or layer.

How old is the duck? Do you know if it is a drake (male) or duck (female)?

 

[mariehanson]

Hi, I am also from the UK and my biggest find was that Wilkinson stores have a pet section including poultry. Even if your local wilko store isn't big enough to stock a pet section, you can order online for delivery to your local store for free.

What you need is a bag of layer pellets (assuming you have females of a suitable age, otherwise there are chick crumble for the babies too) http://www.wilko.com/chicken/mr-johnsons-natural-layers-animal-pellets-20kg/invt/0314240 which you can add a few handfulls of mixed corn in also.

I would also recommend sprinkling crushed oyster shell over their green treats and veggies as it helps promote good quality egg shells and acts also as grit for "chewing" and digesting food, I found that if I put the oyster shell in a separate bowl or even in their pellet feed they will avoid eating it as much as possible. My solution was to put it on top of wet things like lettuce and tomatoes as it sticks to the food so the ducks have no choice but to eat it. http://www.wilko.com/chicken/wilko-poultry-crushed-oyster-shell-1kg/invt/0303759

If you are feeling rather generous you could also use a tonic in the duck's water to perk them up, a bit like us humans taking a multi vitamin tablet http://www.wilko.com/chicken/keep-w...-for-all-poultry-ducks+fowl-250g/invt/0303747 , I have never used this product as I think it is a bit too pricey and is much cheaper to go onto ebay and search for apple cider vinegar. A cap full of this into their water every morning will give them a good selection of vitamins they need. Wilkos also stock buckets of mealworms that I think are reasonably priced http://www.wilko.com/wild-bird/wilko-wildly-tasty-dried-mealworm-3l/invt/0303772?VBMST=mealworms

Hope you manage to fix the rest of your ducks, please post some pictures so we can all ooooh and aaaaah over them

 

[BrownEyedGal]

Hi, I am also from the UK and my biggest find was that Wilkinson stores have a pet section including poultry. Even if your local wilko store isn't big enough to stock a pet section, you can order online for delivery to your local store for free.

That's a great find thanks for sharing! Going to check it out now! Where about in the UK are you based? Hope your ducks are doing ok as the weather gets colder!

 

[mariehanson]

I'm from Durham and we had our first frost at the weekend. My ducks would be happy sleeping all night in a freezing cold pond and it is such an effort to get them to go into their pen and coop. Surely they would want to snuggle down in lots of straw to keep warm, I'm sure they are just being difficult to wind me up because as soon as they are tucked in and I close their coop door I hear them laughing to each other like two witches around a cauldron.

I've actually just popped to Wilkos on my lunch break from work to restock up on the mealworms. I'm wondering if I should buy the ducks a Christmas present? But I can't think of anything they would like more than peas, mealworms and tomatoes. Maybe just a big bowl of this on Christmas morning with a bow on it to make it special? Spoilt.

 

[Amiga]

I'm from Durham and we had our first frost at the weekend. My ducks would be happy sleeping all night in a freezing cold pond and it is such an effort to get them to go into their pen and coop. Surely they would want to snuggle down in lots of straw to keep warm, I'm sure they are just being difficult to wind me up because as soon as they are tucked in and I close their coop door I hear them laughing to each other like two witches around a cauldron.

I've actually just popped to Wilkos on my lunch break from work to restock up on the mealworms. I'm wondering if I should buy the ducks a Christmas present? But I can't think of anything they would like more than peas, mealworms and tomatoes. Maybe just a big bowl of this on Christmas morning with a bow on it to make it special? Spoilt.

mariehanson, that Christmas present sounds like just the thing. And of course, if possible, a photo-op so we can share the joy! Our traditional gifts are peas.

 

[BrownEyedGal]

I'm from Durham and we had our first frost at the weekend. My ducks would be happy sleeping all night in a freezing cold pond and it is such an effort to get them to go into their pen and coop. Surely they would want to snuggle down in lots of straw to keep warm, I'm sure they are just being difficult to wind me up because as soon as they are tucked in and I close their coop door I hear them laughing to each other like two witches around a cauldron.

I've actually just popped to Wilkos on my lunch break from work to restock up on the mealworms. I'm wondering if I should buy the ducks a Christmas present? But I can't think of anything they would like more than peas, mealworms and tomatoes. Maybe just a big bowl of this on Christmas morning with a bow on it to make it special? Spoilt.

Ah, we're in Liverpool! It's been wet and cold and yuk here. Ducks seem happy enough tho! Ours are ok at going to bed but we do put them away quite late as they seem to get a second wind in the evening and forage a lot making their little happy noises. I know what you mean about the cackling, ours do that, like their own private joke! In the morning they are desperate to get out tho, they seem to try and barge the door down!

We want to get them a little Xmas present too, going to get them some personalised leg rings just incase they manage to get out, and some little fish to chase around their paddling pool as they've never had them before!