Ducks too fat? How do I tell?

[Froggygirl]

My Duck guides say to not let my ducks get too fat. How do I tell? I have a couple that are much bigger than the rest, but I just figured it is their body type. They do go after treats more than the rest, but...

What is too fat?

Thank you so much!

 

[bock]

If they develope a keel I think that is a bit too fat.

 

[animalloverabh]

oh dear, this must mean one of my ducklings is fat....

 

[bock]

Well, being chubby won't hurt them. I had 20 ducks in a cage with free choice food a few years ago. A lot of them got a huge keel, so I started feeding them twice a day and letting them free range. They slimmed down quit a bit!

 

[nettie]

if you feel around their chests, it should feel like a half circle from the bone running down their front. If the half circle feels more like a divet with pudge coming out of either side, your duck might be a little overweight.

As babies, it's okay for them to be a little pudgy. They will need it to finish growing.

I have a runner who is pretty chunky. she's an infamous food stealer, stealing all the treats of the other ducks. Her but is pretty huge... She was 3lbs the last time we got weighed at the vet... We were betting on how much she'd weight now, we're guessing around 4.2-4.3 lbs. lol. She also gets a huge "eggnant" belly too, making her look extra chunky. If you think your duck is a little too pudgy, the best thing to do is reduce how often you feed them, or feed them smaller amounts more often throughout the day. You can also let them free range, and give them healthy treats like greens, rather than peas or corn.

 

[CityChicker]

If the bird has a prominent keel, they are too thin, not too fat. Some birds naturally have a prominent keel, but in general- it is one of the better indicators of how thin/fat a bird is. The more prominent the keel, the less muscle tissue around it, hence the bird is thinner.

 

[QuackyMomma]

I was concerned my pekin is too fat... reading some of these posts reassured me that she's probably just a healthy plus sized lady.

 

[juzzk]

One of my Muscovies is a fatty, she will eat anything. But so does the other and there free range so there waddling around all the time. But she can't fly much sometimes where as the other one is a great flyer. But it doesn't bother the fatty. She's a fast waddler!

 

[QuackyMomma]

Fastest to waddle towards food yes... and fat enough to shove everyone else out of the way.
Her husband is about the same age as her... and he's a skinny boy compared to her.

 

[lizp]

What's a keel