Can a cannibal duck be fixed?

[Lenny loves chickens]

The duck is about 6 weeks of age. I’ve been giving him dried mealworms and have also been allowing him to free range to eat greens and bugs. If it is a protein deficiency how long should I keep him separated until I try to reintroduce him into my flock? He has been separated for about 1 week now and every time I try to let him back into the flock he immediately starts pulling and eating feathers. I have him separated where he can still see and interact with the flock just can not touch them. I really hope I can fix this problem, it is a beautiful Cayuga that is very tame to humans. One of my best ducks.

House duck ? I am just kidding idk how long I am not going to lie probably a month or longer depending on how deficient he is

 

[Knighstar679]

The duck is about 6 weeks of age. I’ve been giving him dried mealworms and have also been allowing him to free range to eat greens and bugs. If it is a protein deficiency how long should I keep him separated until I try to reintroduce him into my flock? He has been separated for about 1 week now and every time I try to let him back into the flock he immediately starts pulling and eating feathers. I have him separated where he can still see and interact with the flock just can not touch them. I really hope I can fix this problem, it is a beautiful Cayuga that is very tame to humans. One of my best ducks.

Depending on where you are he might not still be getting enough protein in comparison to what he is using. I would try the dry dog food or cat food added to his food. Its the cheepest and easiest fix. If you can get them black soldier flies have even higher protein in them too. Then reintroduce during free ranging.

 

[Releasethequakin]

Like others have said, it sounds like a nutrition issue. Likely not enough protein in their feed. What are you feeding them?
Also what kind of housing set up do you have for them? Sometimes out of boredom they'll pull feathers out of each other.

They are in a duck house that is 12’x8’ and there is 11 duck total in there. I’m feeding them Purina flock raiser with added brewers yeast.

 

[Releasethequakin]

Feather eating means they lack protein and/or they are too crowded.

Must be protein. They are in a 12’x8’ duck house.

 

[Releasethequakin]

Like others have said, it sounds like a nutrition issue. Likely not enough protein in their feed. What are you feeding them?
Also what kind of housing set up do you have for them? Sometimes out of boredom they'll pull feathers out of each other.

They are in a 12’x8’ house and are allowed to free range all day from 7:30am-10:00pm

 

[ruthhope]

They are in a duck house that is 12’x8’ and there is 11 duck total in there. I’m feeding them Purina flock raiser with added brewers yeast.

Your duck house is certainly large enough. The Flock Raiser will need supplementing for ducks as they need more niacin than flock raiser contains: supplementing with brewers yeast is OK. How are you feeding it? Your duckling was growing quickly in the past weeks and probably didn't get enough protein from flock raiser, as per the guidance you have already received above. All commercial preparations are geared to the nutritional needs of most ducks but there are some ducks that are outlyers in their nutritional requirements because, like humans, their metabolisms are slightly different from each other even within a single breed of ducks as well as between different breeds.

Give the little guy a few weeks on a higher protein diet and he will probably stop the habbit.

 

[Releasethequakin]

Thanks for the help everybody! I will get some dog food to feed him and try to up his protein intake. My dog eats taste of the wild brand wetlands that is made from ducks so probably not a good idea to feed him that! Any suggestions on a specific type of dog food?

 

[Miss Lydia]

It won’t hurt him a bit and a very good dog food. And that’s important because so may are filled with junk