No feed - is it possible?

[TracyLovesDucks]

Hi everybody, I just posted the same question on the chicken forum to get a broad range of input on this question. I'm wondering, can anybody out there get by just fine without giving their ducks feed? In other words, is it possible for your ducks to get enough nourishment from free ranging, table scraps, garden leftovers, etc.?

 

[LoveMagpieCalls]

well, I would assume so, but since the ducks are tamed they wouldnt have the natural instincts of a wild duck- because frankly, no one feeds wild ducks constantly but theyy're still alive so I would assume so but i wouldn't advise it lol

 

[rascally]

It's funny. My ducks are outside all day, constantly eating grass, bugs, whatever but when I bring them inside in the evening, they attack their starter feed as if they hadn't eaten in a week.

 

[LoveMagpieCalls]

ha! im like that too! eat a big meal and then start snacking about 20 minutes later! Lol

 

[TheOtter]

is it possible for your ducks to get enough nourishment from free ranging, table scraps, garden leftovers, etc.?

Of course it is. Buying duck feed is a convenience, not a necessity. There's no magical food ducks need that you couldn't grow/raise yourself. It'd take more planning and work, but it most certainly can be done.

 

[earlyredrooster]

My ducks eat so little feed it is kinda spooky sometimes, they prefer the rice field behind our house to forage in. They grab a quick bite of feed on their way past the feeder to the field in the a.m and same at night when they come in to bed down.

 

[Amiga]

I think I recall reading something about this in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. You would need a sizable bit of property with the right mix of plants, and possibly a pond with small animals and small fish to meet their needs.

And no winters - the food supply plummets. My ducks eat more in the winter because they don't have access to worms, slugs and vegetation at all in the winter. We don't have a big enough place, a safe enough place for them to get all their nutritional needs met without bringing in food.

 

[Sfraker]

My 5 are going through their feed really slowly now that they are outside. They have a 10' x 10' pen that has a deep straw base. I simply add more straw anytime it gets icky. In their coop I add more straw daily and then remove all straw and start over fresh on Saturday.

Four are 11 week old Welsh Harlequin hens and one is a 5 week old Pekin (prbably a drake).

When they were first outside they were eating feed like mad, now I see them digging little holes in the straw and eating all sorts of bugs/worms all day. I think the deep litter of straw that they are on is attracting worms/bugs. Additionally, I grow mixed greens and spinach for them, they get two helpings of that per day. Plus I know my daughter gives them clover and dandelions when she gets home from school. I keep a hanging feeder full of duck feed, but only have to add to it every other week or so.

I am growing squash and potatos to supplement their feed this fall.

I don't think I'll ever get to the point of no feed, but I try to be close by growing what I can and giving them an environment that brings in some yummy worms and things.

 

[TracyLovesDucks]

I think I recall reading something about this in Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks. You would need a sizable bit of property with the right mix of plants, and possibly a pond with small animals and small fish to meet their needs.

And no winters - the food supply plummets. My ducks eat more in the winter because they don't have access to worms, slugs and vegetation at all in the winter. We don't have a big enough place, a safe enough place for them to get all their nutritional needs met without bringing in food.

I see. I won't be able to go feedless with my ducks then. We have only an acre sans pond and the ducks must be confined to one area. The old fella that lived here before us kind of let his place go, so when he died his children had the house torn down... they dug an onsite dump and practically buried the house, so there are screws, nails, shards of glass, ceramic, etc. etc. etc. everywhere. And they keep getting worked up out of the ground. Except for in the duck's yard, that's the only duck-safe zone.

It would be great to minimize their feed intake, and I'm hoping that they develop a strong preference for grass, bugs, and what not.

 

[Amiga]

You may be able to grow some things to supplement their feed, reducing cost.
Flax, potatoes, field peas are all things that seem to grow pretty easily for me, that ducks can eat.