What Do you feed your ducks?

the duck whisperer

Songster
8 Years
Feb 22, 2011
496
1
101
Ohio
Hi.
I've been raising Ducks for about 6 years now and i've never heard of ducks being fed chicken feed. But I always here of people feeding there ducks chicken feed. Why's that so? Just curious now.....
 
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Hi Confused,
I have had ducks for 5 years now with chickens. They all sleep in the same pen, play in the same run and eat the same food. I have some of the healthiest ducks around.
I don't know where you get your info but it's false.
However, I buy " All Purpose " Back Yard Flock " feed. It's made for all fowl type. Ducks, chickens, Turkeys, Quail, ect...you can buy just plain chicken food that has 16, 18 % protein and is fine for just chickens but Ducks can also eat this food. I have had to feed them all just chicken food when the store ran out of what I normally buy. No dead Ducks yet.
I wouldn't feed them just chicken food for very long if possible. I also give my ducks plenty of lettuce scraps, peas, corn, fresh cut grass.....and they free range during the day so they get plenty of bugs to eat...hope this helps. But no, you wont hurt your ducks by giving them chicken food.
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I have never heard of just duck feed.

Our ducks just eat with the chickens- they get a flock raiser type feed with scratch mixed in. They also eat a ton of grass, bugs, and they love mice. I have traps in the barns and will give the mice to the ducks...they love them!

My husbands grandma used to just feed her ducks hound dog food...from the feed store.
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I am not recommending that but she had ducks for YEARS and never had any problems with them. Some people feed them fish food (for like ponds) and such...
 
My adult ducks and chickens get the same food - a quality breeder pellet (supplemented by fresh greens, worms, bugs, grass, peas, melon etc etc).

Feeding chicken food to ducklings can be different though - its best to use a feed formulated especially for ducks while they are growing as it has the right protein and vitamin/mineral ratios.

But as adults chicken food is fine for ducks.
 
If I could buy duck feed locally I would feed it, but I haven't been able to find it. My adult ducks eat with the chickens and the young ones are eating the Dumour from TSC. They also free range and get whatever they can find and I supplement with greens, brewers yeast and niacin in their water about once a week. All seem healthy and we have hatched 8 fat and sassy little call ducks. Now 3 of the females are sitting on eggs so we may be duckling crazy pretty soon.
 

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