Can You Feed Ducks Scratch Grains?

[Muscovy Man]

Hi, I just purchased two 50 pound bags of Naturewise Scratch Grains and was wondering if any of you people know that it is okay to feed to Ducks. I found various things on the internet saying it is okay from it may cause fertility problems.

I am a little concerned because the hens have started to lay eggs and I don't want my drakes to become infertile

.

 

[erijn5]

I have never had a problem with it, but that is just me.

As long as the drake has all the equipment and is doing his job you should have fertile eggs. But of course that is just my opinion!

Good luck!

Edit: What all do they eat in the wild? No one will really ever know, but I'm sure they are not watching their diet! Just a thought!

 

[MDC]

It likely won't have a high enough protein as a sole feed. Will they live on it, probably yes. Will they thrive on it? Probably no. You can definitely build a ration around it, though. I use whole grains, add some BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) and a poultry concentrate for my ration. Percentage depends on time of year. Might not need as high a protein ration if they're able to forage for insects & greens.

 

[AHappychick]

i give it to them as extra to their feed as a treat they love it and mine are quiet healthy but they get real feed as well and free range also. maybe once a week I fill one of their feeders (last about 6 hours before all eaten) with it. I dont scatter it like I do for the chickens.

 

[BarnSweet]

Quote:
Mine seem to love it as a treat, just likethe chickens. I drop some in puddles or their little pond (aka baby pool) and they nummy it up. Not their sole feed, duck pellets always available (unless the stupid sparrows and ground squirrels empty the feeder

). They do get honked off about that and come let me or dh know they need pellets, NOW

. The female runner is the voice from the duck side, she's tiny but has a QUACK on her

.

They spend most of the day wandering around w/their bills busy in the lawn and pasture.

They eat lots less pellets than they used to when they were confined (in their youth).

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I have a bowl of poultry feed and a bowl of scratch grains available. I noticed that as they get older they begin eating more of the scratch and less poultry feed. They also get to free range and forage all day and I give them snacks like fresh frozen peas, cabbage and squash when the chooks get theirs.

 

[BobTheDuck1958]

I had ducks for over 20 years and never had a problem giving Ducks and geese scratch feed. Once I had 28 babies from 3 females and 2 males. Also had given them lay mash and or pellets/crumbles. I also supplement scratch with different salad mixes. First I have to ask you if you are raising your ducks for meat or for pets? You might want to ask someone else about their nutrition if you are raising for meat.
Mine are pets, and I eat the eggs. I supplement their feed with kale mix from Costco, and Power greens, and iceberg salad mix (iceberg lettuce isn't very nutritious but has carrot slivers and red cabbage in the salad mix-from Costco). Unfortunately for me Costco doesn't carry the scratch feed or I'd get it there! You do want to give them some fresh greens also...
My Ducks are gone now, I had a few Pekins, a Muscovy that flew into my yard and never left because I fed and watered her, she liked it =) also had a plethora of Mallards. Sadly my dogs just attacked them one day after getting along well with them for years =(
Now I have the geese in pens, they don't get to eat the weeds like when they were "free range" on my 1/2 acre (every day was like an Easter egg hunt, haha...)

 

[oldload]

Where did you bury the dogs?