Do you feed your ducks free choice or do you limit their feed?

[gofasterstripe]

I measured out 6 cups for 6 adult birds. It works out at half a scoop per feed, 1 half scoop when I let them out to free range in the morning and I put half a scoop in with them when they go up at bed time. Same with the babies.

 

[Bleenie]

I have food out 24/7 for my Muscovies. They also free range nearly all the time except when they get locked up at night. I have never had a problem with an overweight bird so far. All my girls like to fly though and everyone treks back & forth from the coop to the creek everyday so they have lots of exercise.

I adopted a new drake earlier this year that was pretty fat, had a Very low keel when i got him. He was on a diet of 50%corn 50%feed. After being here for about a month the keel was gone, i only feed corn in the winter, when it gets cold, because it does put on the extra weight and helps them keep a little warmer on those cold days/nights.

 

[pirtykitty]

I give mine mazuri waterfowl in the morning when I let them out. and they free range all day.. then more mazuri in the evening when I put them up.. plus they get a salad in their water.. Daisy and Stanley are in one night pen and Judy is in another by herself.. the salad may be just chopped romaine, or may also have other veggies cut up into tiny pieces ( cucumber, zucchinni, tomato, celery tops, chopped carrot scrappings, beet greens, black eyed pea leaves). oh last year they enjoyed sweet potato leaves. Fruits I give every so often ( cut up grapes, straw berries , tops to, cantalope, and watermelon) not too often on the fruits as the sugar isnt good for them
They also like to eat the bird food that drops from the bird feeder.. Hubby didn't know that my can of oat groats had DE in it and dumped it into the can that had wild bird food ( grrrrrr) he though it was dust.. Now theres oat groats going to waste on the ground cause the wild birds aren't eating it.. I placed bucket under feeder to hopefully catch some of it.. the ducks can't eat it all that quick..
I have mixed lettuce planted in garden also some rugula, beets, and radishes. So So far the ducks haven't noticed it yet.. fingers crossed that they get some size on them so we can eat it too..
this past garden season they loved to jump in the raised bed and nibble on the beet tops.. and forage in the leaves that covered the potatoes..

they get corn in winter with their mazuri.. to help keep them warm.. they also love Iams cat food.. original formula

 

[taraann81]

I feed all of my birds as much as they can eat in 15minutes, twice a day. Plus they free range.

Works for us, healthy birds.

 

[chikky]

Mine have free choice (I feed Purina Duck Chow) and they get to free range in the evenings (usually) and weekends when we're home. No one is fat, and I only see them eating a few times a day. They spend most of the time on their pool.

 

[Snakeman]

I have 15 ducks and 5 Muscovy. I have another 5 Muscovy right now(for a total of 25) but they are destined for freezer camp. I don't put any food or water in the pen. I let them out as soon as it's light enough in the morning and give them about 8 or 9 cups of "Blue Seal" Grower Cal pellets. That's between 1/4 and 1/3 cup per duck. Around 2 or 3 in the afternoon they get about 6 cups of peas(or some other treat) in the warm months and corn in the cold months. Then they get another 8 or 9 cups of "Blue Seal" about sunset. At dark, they go back in the pen. I watch their habits and if they start to range too far, I increase the feed. If they aren't ranging far enough, I cut back a little. My Silver Appleyards have keels but otherwise don't seem to be overweight.(they had very pronounced keels, as did my Pekins until I started to regulate their food) My Pekins and all my other ducks and Muscovy all seem very healthy now.