Brand new to Ducks

[jamieneenah]

HI,

I have 12 ducks I have to pick up today, just hatched. 6 rouens and 6 pekins.

I'd been reading this duck forum and have learn some. I've successfully raised chicks.

The main question I have. From fairly early on, I switch my chicks off of chicken kibble (starter) and put them on my own mix of whole grains (corn, oats, wheat, SBC, CPC, Proleader, etc.). Can I do the same with the ducks or is it going to be alot easier for me to pick up a bag of duck starter?

Any other advice for a first time ducker?

Thanks
Jamie

 

[streemers]

i dont know if you can get this there but i bought PayBack Waterfowl, from cenex and it works from hatch- butcher.
hope that helps

 

[goosedragon]

Just my opinion but if you can find "duck starter" buy it! Once you have them off to a good start you can mess with their feed if you insist. One warning, the ducks I have owned did not like to try new things.

 

[jamieneenah]

Thank you both for the suggestions, I will look for that brand. I did find duck starter at the coop. So I know I can get it. I got the impression that ducks were even less picky with there food than chickens, is that wrong?

Thanks

Jamie

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
I don't raise chickens so I can't compare. I would put a new feed out, they would look at it and then look at me and give me the "We are hungry!" cry and if I did nothing they would go back to the pool. It took me three days to switch them from starter to waterfowl pellets. If I hadn't taken a clue from the label saying "floating waterfowl pellets" and thrown a hand full of pellets into the pool where they saw them moving and floating and attacked them like insects, they might have stayed on starter crumbles for ever!
When I bought some new young stock I got lucky with a "Mikey" duck (Mikey was the kid in the Post Cereal TV AD, might be before your time) He would try anything and if it was good enough for Mikey the rest would eat it too.