dry cat food.

[keeperofthehearth]

Mine go nuts for it, especially my hens. It seems to really help with the laying. I can tell you that we used dry cat and dog food as a staple for almost all our carnivorous species when I was wildlife rehabillitator. We fed other things too but the dry food was a staple base of the diet for almost every critter except our raptors. Somestimes you just can't argue with what the ducks are telling you...they would be eating small fish, crawdads and lots of insects in the wild, so the dry cat food is likely what we have available that is closest to what they would naturally seek, other than live fish or having them in a pond.

I'm glad you said this as I've harbored the same idea for awhile. I've noticed my girls CRAVE the stuff when they are laying. I've read the ingredients in some of the dog and cat food out there & it is GOOD stuff. My maturing Pekins were giving me a really hard time this a.m. as I haven't been giving them any cat/dog food for a day or so. I caved in and fed them a sml bowl of IAMS cat food. They gobbled that up SOOOO fast and settled right down to their usual racketing about selves.

 

[chickboss]

I've been feeding it to all the poultry recently. It is a favorite for sure! My Peacocks adore it, the chickens gobble it up like mad, and the ducks are very happy to partake in a small bowl full. Lots of good stuff in there!

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have not ever tried it as a treat for my ducks but I will give it a try today.
My chickens don't care for dry cat food but love the canned stuff, especially the fish flavors. I use it in the winter as a treat but since I have barn cats I will try the dry on my ducks today and see what they think.
They catch bugs in their run every day but I bet this will be fun for them, too. Next time I remember to stop at the pet shop I plan to get feeder fish and put in their pool for a bit of fun for them.

 

[duckluck]

Quote:
The cat food is handy especially for when you have to have a predator-proof breeding pen. The feeder fish, be careful when you give those...I have a theory that giving the feeder fish/minnows during laying can cause some crooked bills to show up in hatchlings, of which I have had a few crop up when I have fed these during laying. Luckily, I have a person who still wants these ducklings; I've been told by an old timer that it is an acquired and not a congenital problem in such a circumstance. Oftentimes the tackle stores don't use antibiotics in the water but the fisheries certainly can and do and this may cause problems. Good luck!

 

[nettie]

I did not know that Duckluck! Thanks for sharing! My ducks are all girls, so I never have ducklings, but that's a good thing to remember when/if we ever decide to to the whole "Duckling thing"

 

[lovesduckies]

Quote:
Scooter is now 24 days old and is doing great I can't believe your's are almost 4 weeks old, seems like they were born yesterday! My mallard girls are getting blood feathers now too and itty bitty quacks starting to come out LOL I posted some new photos of Scooter yesterday,Scooter Pics Thread

We need to see some updated photos of your little darlings

Michelle

wow already! holy moly! they grow so fast

i can't believe yours is that old either!!! i know. they are so big, it makes me sad LOL. how old are your mallard girls??? i'm not sure how old my mallard or rouen are. i am TRYING to get pics up but i am having techincal difficulties with my phone. my phone is my camera since the one i have sucks, and now my dang phone isn't sending pics

i hate technology! i did get one pic to come up. i am going to try again today. i am going to go check out your thread!!!


thanks duckluck.. now i don't feel completely weird about giving them catfood LOL. hmmm i wonder if she is going to lay another cluth then? LOL when i walk out she like pushes herself up against the fence as if duckie is pushing her and he's not even there LOL he's following me cuz he's a mommy's boy LOL and he barely eats it. she scarfs it down before he can even get to it LOL and thanks for the fish info duckluck. i have been talking about getting fish for them.. but i have been too lazy to get off BYC to do it LOL.

 

[Quackmire]

I'm so glad to have come across this thread! I thought my duck was just a wierdo! (well, she is... still)

My house girl will chase the dogs away from their food bowls in the morning, and chow chow chow til I catch her and chase her away. She will also fly up onto our cat tree and eat their cat food.

I was thinking it probably wasn't good for her and now I have changed my thinking. Maybe I'll buy her her own bag of smaller kibble food and use it as treats. Right now her favorite treat is cheerios, and if I hear her doing something she shouldn't I can rattle her cheerio container too get her to come runnin'.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Good to see you again, Quackmire. It's been a long time!

 

[lovesduckies]

lol when i had my first duckling who passed away.. my dad said are you feeding the duck cheerios to lower his colesterol because he was in that egg. lol my dad says the strangest things. but he loves the ducks. if i don't give them cat food my dad does. he's a duck enabler

 

[Rex Mom]

Hi everyone.. stumbled upon this thread.. I am going to be new to ducks. In the planning stages for a duck house and pen. Doing lots of reading and research. I had read not to give anything fishy to duck hens if you are eating the eggs because the eggs would taste fishy. Is this true? Does the cat or dog food leave a odd taste to the eggs as well? I know my chickens got my dogs food if he didn't finish it (soaked in hot water) and they loved it. Never noticed a strange flavor in their eggs.

Susan
(BTW I am hoping the ducks are quieter than the chickens.. no more egg song)