What do you feed grown ducks?

[rgn87]

I read so many different things. I feed mine veggies, cracked corn, and mazuri waterfowl maitenence. But the mazuri is expensive and I read they can get most of their diet from foraging. not trying to sound cheap but I'm poor is that true?

 

[afeatherfan]

I feed my ducks whole corn an laying mash.whole corn they seem to be able to pick it up better. That is it and mine free range.

 

[kw]

I feed mine layer mash and free range as well, with a few treats here and there. They're all healthy and hearty.

 

[rgn87]

what is layer mash?

 

[purr]

layer mash is chicken grain

 

[CityChicker]

We feed a lot of different things. During the off-season, we fed mostly Purina Flock Raiser mixed with oats to reduce the protein a little (plus Alfalfa pellets, Calf-Manna, and fresh greens periodically throughout the week). Now that the breeding season is starting, we began adding Layena pellets about 6 weeks ago to the ingredients above. We are now mixing that about half and half with a custom mixture we are doing that is a blend of grains plus Fish Meal, Kelp, Brewer's Yeast, Alfalfa Mill, and a vitamin/mineral pre-mix.

 

[Sjisty]

My ducks free range during the day, so they eat whatever they find. They also get flock raiser, cracked corn, and table scraps the same as my chickens. For a treat once a week or so I get them feeder fish. My oldest duck, Stinky, recognizes the bag when I come home and by the time I get in the back yard he is in the baby pool waiting!. I now even have a chicken that waits at the side of the pool and manages to catch one or two fish for herself.

 

[purr]

Quote:
I am going to buy fish as soon as the store opens ,I love this idea and so will my ducks. Mine are free range too but i'm sure fish are way more fun to catch than slugs!

 

[rgn87]

So what I am reading here is free ranging is enough for the ducks to survive on? I like to give the veggies and cracked corn too cause they go nuts for these. I am worried about their protein intake. How do they till get the proteins they will need to produce eggs if they just free range? Also I read that mash is not all that, and it smells, I prefer pellets anyways. Please help!!!

 

[Amiga]

rgn87,

I can appreciate the budget concerns. Whether or not the ducks can get everything they need from foraging depends on how much area and the quality of the available forage. You may want to contact an agricultural extension agent and ask them approximately how much area of what type can provide for the number and type of ducks you have.

Ducks can survive on poor diet for quite a while. My aim is to give them the best I can provide and at the same time let them do their own "grocery shopping." In New England, that means they will get quite a bit of high quality food from the gardens and woods' edge. I am on about an acre, more than half wooded, with several perennial and annual gardens, with many slugs and Japanese beetles.

In the winter I will need to grit my teeth and feed them boughten rations, so I will get the best I can afford. In summer and fall, while they are laying, I hope to recoup some expenses by selling eggs. Who knows? If I do it well, I may be able to sell some of their composted manure and pick up a couple of bucks that way, too!

Storey's Guide to Raising Ducks has a chapter on nutrition. If you can borrow a copy, take some notes. Good detailed information there.

Corn is okay as a small part of their diet. Loads of carbohydrates, not a whole lot of nutrients compared to many other feeds. I might supplement with corn in the coldest part of the year, but otherwise it is not in my plan.

Ducks like chickweed and dandelions. Those are easy to grow in most yards, and people spend hours pulling them up and tossing them. Maybe you have a neighbor who doesn't spray toxic stuff in their yard who could give you their weedings (if they can toss them into a small bucket of water, the greens will remain fresh). They like young grass, they like all kinds of things, and can often harvest it themselves.

A friend helps feed her chickens by getting a Japanese beetle trap but instead of using the bag she just lets the beetles drop into the chicken yard - works great for her.

A local store told me they leave their vegetable trimmings in plastic bags outside their kitchen door so that livestock owners can come pick it up and use it - any chance of finding that kind of arrangement in your area?