Campbell ducks -help please

[PatMarchand]

I have adopted 2 campbell ducks (not ducklings), I live in the UK.

I was told, they were easy to keep... etc....
I have kept them since the end of August 2014 (now december 2014).

Food

I have purchased and tried various pellets (starter, crumbs, layer, chicken ones,...) but they are still not eating them.
Tried mixed duck seeds, including a mix of corns for poultry, but they are not eating them neither...
All what they seem to eat are cooked vegetables and salads.

Any suggestions to what type of food I am supposed to give them would be well received.

Habitat

I have a large wooden shed where I put straw, this is where I push them at night. However it is now gone very cold and the 1st thing they do when I open the door of their shed is to take refuge in my back room near the radiator.
I thought ducks were ok with the cold.

Pond

Before the cold spell they spent their day on the pond, but now it is cold they ignore it prefering spending the day... in my back room near the radiator.

Yes I know, my ducks do not like the cold, but is this unusual? I have put warm water in their pond but they still prefer the central heating inside.

It it 5 degrees c. so not yet freezing.... I am worried because they are not spending their days outside as they should be.

Behaviour

I also have noticed that when I leave the house when I am back I find them hidding in a small place under a bamboo tree and it takes me ages getting them out of there.
I do have cctvs and I cannot see anything that could have frighten them. They are not tame but not frighten of people.

Finally
Those are 2 female and I just wonder if I should add a mature male so they can learn what they should eat, go in at night and may feel more secure?

 

[buff goose guy]

Dog food and cat food is good to feed them but too much is harmful, like they can just eat all dog food, i put triple cleaned corn in with it.

 

[PatMarchand]

Many thanks.

I keep many birds but except for the 2 ducks the rest are cockatiels and african greys who eat a variety of food, including cooked rice and pasta. But I was told to give only pellets and a bit of vegs to the ducks.
Dog food I use for my westie is pro-allergic and includes vegs, wet not dry. If Bonnie & Clyde like dog food how often can I give it to them (every day, 2 days,...) and how much? Can they eat a variety of food such as cooked rice, pasta, scrambled eggs,....?

 

[buff goose guy]

The about a liter shared between them for two days mixed with corn , and dry dog food is what im takeing about, ducks are not supposed to have like exotic bird see it can cause problems in some ducks,

Lettuce is good for them

High meaty dog food that is made from corn an meat byproducts is the best not real meat in it.

Keep in mind that if a duck does get wet dog food it can have negative consequences. Vegetables te good, but anything with common tabel salt is bad for them it can hurt their stomachs, but vegetables are good for them and get grass seeds , they will eat grass seeds very easily and that is a common duck diet.

 

[buff goose guy]

A male is a good idea for the spring two dicks for one male is the best idea for the situation.

 

[mymilliefleur]

I replied to your post on a different thread.

 

[PatMarchand]

Many thanks,

Lettuce: they love them, I buy a big round lettuce (not the iceberg one) and it is gone within 5mn! Same for cooked vegs (carrots, broccoli, corn, peas), but I was worried because they do not touch their pellets and I was told they 'need' to eat them.
I think they eat anything that is wet, pellets probably too dry for them, same for corn they only eat them when cooked.
They just only want to eat wet food.
Because they refuse to eat their pellets I have given them one drop of calcivet in their drinking water once a week, and some prebiotics (avi-pro) the Birds Care Company told me it was ok for poultry.
Grass seeds: shall look for this.

Would be nice to hear, though, from people who keep campbell ducks. Their behaviour is very different from I was told, for example I have to push them in their shed every night, else they stay out, but they do not mind going in my back room where there is a central heating radiator, but was told it is better to make them go into their 'cold' shed.

Here is a photo of their shed:

and their pond (I know I need to redo the pond, but too wintery they will need to wait for spring, the soil is clay so too hard to dig)

 

[PatMarchand]

just found some grass seeds, do you think this would be ok? http://www.thegrassseedstore.co.uk/poultry/diverse-poultry-pasture.html

 

[buff goose guy]

yeah

 

[Amiga]

Careful with dog food - the large chunks can choke them to death. And if the seeds have awns (hairs) they can get stuck in their throats. I speak from experience reported here on the Duck Forum.

It may be that the ducks are not very cold hardy, and if you are okay with letting them stay in a warmer environment than an unheated outdoor shelter, then go with that. I have Runners - similar in size to Khaki Campbells, and a few of my flock do not thrive below 35F. So I adapted a shelter in the walkout basement. Life is good!

Regarding food. Hmmm. What were they raised on? You may need to make a slower shift. I would say it is best to use a well balanced diet for ducks. The most straightforward would be poultry or waterfowl feed, supplemented with some fresh greens. I also supplement in winter with a little bit of good quality cat kibble. But that is a sprinkling on top of their food. I moisten their food, some people on this forum think that is not a great idea due to a concern about mold, but at the rate my ducks eat, that is not a problem.