Duck not eating pellets

[Alf264]

Help! My duck lewis is not Eating her pellets. She is currently 8 weeks old and she will eat anything but her pellets. I don’t spoil her with anything but I do give her peas when she bathes at night and she goes crazy for them. It is easy to tell when she is hungry and u can see the deflated crop. She doesn’t seem to be growing much as she stopped eating them about a week and a half ago. Does anyone know why this could be? I’m using layers chicken feed and she’s been on it crushed up since a day old and had been fine.

On this note, also Lewis was just introduced to the chicken enclosure about a week ago. But we made a seperate bit so they could acclamate to each other. But now the barricade is taken down lewis often gets chased by the chickens. Will they adjust and stop? What can I do about it?

 

[Isaac 0]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your duck.

From what I have gathered this was an abrupt stop with her eating the pellets? Have you changed the feed in any way, changed the way you offered it, have you checked the feed for any sign of mold?

I notice you said that you were feeding her layer feed since she was a few days old. There are a few problems with that. Layer feed contains extra calcium intended for poultry that are laying, when you give it to a young bird that doesn't need calcium for a prolonged period of time, problems may start to arise like gout, or kidney damage.

Chicken Layer feed is intended for chickens, not ducks, therefore it lacks certain nutrients that a duck may need. A good example would be niacin, chickens need around 25/30mg per kilo, heavyweight breed ducks should have around 70mg per kilo until they are around laying age.

You really need to switch her onto a feed designed for either all poultry use, or specifically waterfowl. Purina Flock Raiser, All Flock Feed, and Mazuri are a few good feed brands.

For more information regarding dietary niacin needs, you can read here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

She looks a little underweight to me, I'd probably start weighing her daily looking for any sign of weight loss. Have you seen her feces lately, how do they look? What has she been eating during the day?

If the chickens are attacking her, you need to separate them.

 

[Alf264]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your duck.

From what I have gathered this was an abrupt stop with her eating the pellets? Have you changed the feed in any way, changed the way you offered it, have you checked the feed for any sign of mold?

I notice you said that you were feeding her layer feed since she was a few days old. There are a few problems with that. Layer feed contains extra calcium intended for poultry that are laying, when you give it to a young bird that doesn't need calcium for a prolonged period of time, problems may start to arise like gout, or kidney damage.

Chicken Layer feed is intended for chickens, not ducks, therefore it lacks certain nutrients that a duck may need. A good example would be niacin, chickens need around 25/30mg per kilo, heavyweight breed ducks should have around 70mg per kilo until they are around laying age.

You really need to switch her onto a feed designed for either all poultry use, or specifically waterfowl. Purina Flock Raiser, All Flock Feed, and Mazuri are a few good feed brands.

For more information regarding dietary niacin needs, you can read here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

She looks a little underweight to me, I'd probably start weighing her daily looking for any sign of weight loss. Have you seen her feces lately, how do they look? What has she been eating during the day?

If the chickens are attacking her, you need to separate them.

Thank you, yes I have no form of duck feed where I live I have to drive four hours to get it, I will do my best to find her duck feed. Her feces look pretty normal and she does a poop about every 10-15 minutes or so. I will for sure weigh her every day and buy either all poultry use feed or specifically duck feed.

 

[Alf264]

Sorry to hear you're having problems with your duck.

From what I have gathered this was an abrupt stop with her eating the pellets? Have you changed the feed in any way, changed the way you offered it, have you checked the feed for any sign of mold?

I notice you said that you were feeding her layer feed since she was a few days old. There are a few problems with that. Layer feed contains extra calcium intended for poultry that are laying, when you give it to a young bird that doesn't need calcium for a prolonged period of time, problems may start to arise like gout, or kidney damage.

Chicken Layer feed is intended for chickens, not ducks, therefore it lacks certain nutrients that a duck may need. A good example would be niacin, chickens need around 25/30mg per kilo, heavyweight breed ducks should have around 70mg per kilo until they are around laying age.

You really need to switch her onto a feed designed for either all poultry use, or specifically waterfowl. Purina Flock Raiser, All Flock Feed, and Mazuri are a few good feed brands.

For more information regarding dietary niacin needs, you can read here.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

She looks a little underweight to me, I'd probably start weighing her daily looking for any sign of weight loss. Have you seen her feces lately, how do they look? What has she been eating during the day?

If the chickens are attacking her, you need to separate them.

Hi I just managed to get my hands on some duck feed pellets. She still won’t eat them how do I make her?

 

[Isaac 0]

Thank you, yes I have no form of duck feed where I live I have to drive four hours to get it, I will do my best to find her duck feed. Her feces look pretty normal and she does a poop about every 10-15 minutes or so. I will for sure weigh her every day and buy either all poultry use feed or specifically duck feed.

Could you post a picture of her poop?

Hi I just managed to get my hands on some duck feed pellets. She still won’t eat them how do I make her?

Does she have a favorite treat? Try mixing it in with that and see if she eats any.

 

[Alf264]

Could you post a picture of her poop?



Does she have a favorite treat? Try mixing it in with that and see if she eats any.

Hi good news, she loves the duck feed a her crop is absolutely choccers which is so awesome since I haven’t seen her with a full crop for ages! Hopefully she keeps up the good eating with her new pellets and puts on a bit of fat but I will see her progression and weigh her everyday. Adding on to what you said her poop looks different all the time and it looks very usual to me. I also got my hands on some mealworms as I heard they were a great source of protein. She loves them aswell. Thank you for all the help!