Caring for my ducks

[judy mclean]

Hello so my daughter brought home 3Pekin ducklings now about15 weeks 2 male 1 femal Turns out large breed how to feed them and keep them as pets they will EAT as much as we put out they are growing very big Is is there a proper diet to feed them to keep them as pets

 

[Miss Lydia]

@Quatie
@ruthhope

 

[Quatie]

It is not always the case, but often you need to give Pekin a limited diet. When I had mostly Pekin, I would feed them twice a day. I have them about 0.4lbs of feed per duck a day. They will definitely happily eat you out of house and home. Mine were pretty lazy and didn't want to forage much. One had chubby cheeks until I added other breeds. They encouraged the Pekins to move around more.

You may need to supplement them with extra naicin even into adulthood. Especially since they are more prone to leg injuries and such.

One other thing to note is your male to female ratio will cause problems with your female in the future. The female will become over mated in this situation and can get injured. Usually it is recommended a drake has 4 or so females, but every drake is different.

Something to also keep an eye on is egg laying issues. I have had it and seen it with others, sometimes the females will lay almost nonstop. Their shells will start getting thin and soft. They will need extra calcium if this starts to happen.

 

[ruthhope]

Hello so my daughter brought home 3Pekin ducklings now about15 weeks 2 male 1 femal Turns out large breed how to feed them and keep them as pets they will EAT as much as we put out they are growing very big Is is there a proper diet to feed them to keep them as pets

Hi Judy

Your ducks need commercial duck food. I buy purina duck pellets from Tractor Supply. There are other brands. Pekins should eat 2 cupsful of pellets each every day. I give mine half in the morning and half at night and leave out what is left as they need 24/7 access to food.

They can have treats -- mine love dried meal worms, peas, cherry tomatoes; some ducks like sall pieces of water melon and other fruit. But only a little of the treats as they need the balanced nutrition of commercial duck food. Many of us advise that Pekins need extra niacin above what is available in duck pellets. I use brewer's yeast 1 tablespoon per cup of pellets, until the ducks are full grown at 16 weeks, and longer for laying females.

I am sorry to say that the sex ratio of your daughter's ducks is off. Drakes generally need 3 or 4 females each to avoid over breeding and harm to the females. There is some variation and, for example, my son had 2 females and 1 drake from TSC that grew up together and the females were not over mated. But having 2 drakes to one female is a no no. The drakes will start fighting over the female, and the female is highly likely to be over mated.

If your daughter just wants ducks as pets -- and isn't concerned about getting eggs, then rehoming the female is an easier option to getting hold of a minimum of 5 more females and preferably 7 more. My flock is all drakes and many folks keep just drakes as pets.

Indeed, you might be able to swap your female for a drake. But you will find it very difficult to rehome a drake. Because drakes are hatched in the same numbers as females, and because duck keepers want duck eggs, there are a surfeit of drakes in this world. That is sad for unwanted drakes that are too often abandoned on ponds and lakes where domestic drakes do not have the skills to survive. They cannot fly; they are vulnerable to predators, and to death on nearby roads.

My drakes are all rescues and rehomes. I rescued two juvenile drakes 2 months ago and have been unable to find them new homes. My son has taken one to live with his all female flock -- and he has settled in well; I have kept the second rescue and he is settling down with my drakes -- he is bottom of the pecking order and still adjusting.

If you decide to try and do a swap, or to give away one of your daughter's drakes, you might advertise on your states forum in Backyard chickens. You might also advertise on social media -- be careful with craig's list as some purchasers are looking for sunday roasts and so you must emphasize that your drake should be a pet and join a small backyard flock. You might also contact your local chapter of the Humane Society and American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals as they might arrange duck adoptions. Some do although my own only adopt cats and dogs.

I advise that you think about the sex ratio and develop a plan of action now -- don't wait until the drakes start fighting and the female gets injurred through over mating

 

[judy mclean]

Hello so my daughter brought home 3Pekin ducklings now about15 weeks 2 male 1 femal Turns out large breed how to feed them and keep them as pets they will EAT as much as we put out they are growing very big Is is there a proper diet to feed them to keep them as pets

It is not always the case, but often you need to give Pekin a limited diet. When I had mostly Pekin, I would feed them twice a day. I have them about 0.4lbs of feed per duck a day. They will definitely happily eat you out of house and home. Mine were pretty lazy and didn't want to forage much. One had chubby cheeks until I added other breeds. They encouraged the Pekins to move around more.

You may need to supplement them with extra naicin even into adulthood. Especially since they are more prone to leg injuries and such.

One other thing to note is your male to female ratio will cause problems with your female in the future. The female will become over mated in this situation and can get injured. Usually it is recommended a drake has 4 or so females, but every drake is different.

Something to also keep an eye on is egg laying issues. I have had it and seen it with others, sometimes the females will lay almost nonstop. Their shells will start getting thin and soft. They will need extra calcium if this starts to happen.

Thank you so much and I believe I will re home 1 of the males so she has no trouble

 

[ruthhope]

Thank you so much and I believe I will re home 1 of the males so she has no trouble

You should get another 2 or 3 females when you rehome your drake.

 

[Quatie]

Thank you so much and I believe I will re home 1 of the males so she has no trouble

Occasionally people have had success with one drake and female. It really depends on the drake. Some will done fine with one, other require more females to be happy. You never really know.

Also drakes can be very hard to rehome, especially Pekin drakes. You may want to have a plan b if you are unable to rehome him easily.