eating poop?

[nettie]

I feed my ducks on a routine schedule. They eat at 8 am when i or my fiance get up, they eat again around 1-2pm if they want, then they get a snack/treat/healthy foods for dinner (usually peas, corn, lettuces, carrots, hardboiled egg, etc). From approx 5pm- til bathtime they have all the time access to food and water in their pen. Usually around 10pm-12am they get a nice long bath/shower and preening time. I feed them one more time and put them in their nightime pen.

But for some reason my one duck (victor) eats poop during the night. They are never that hungry in the morning, like they need to be fed more often or anything... Sometimes if i listen to them i can hear him picking at the bedding, but i thought he was just playing with it. At 3am this morning due to not being able to sleep (nightmare about my ducks) i checked in on them and they were awake. Victor had a ring a poo around his beak and this contented smile like he got caught.

They get as much food as they want and they get alot of different types of food to keep from being bored. I can't imagine they are hungry again. I also give them a multivitamin in their water about once a week to make sure they get everything they need.

Any reason why ducks might do this gross habit? Is it normal? Can i stop it?

 

[spook]

I think its only that you are taking to much notice. All birds will eat poo. Horrible as it sounds to us, its a way to get bacteria in their digestive tracts. Thinking about ducks out in their water, drinking, sozzling..what are they ingesting? Grains of undigestive food, manure, dirt and items like that. I don't believe its much on breaking a habit, but you see him do this. (It is gross tho)

 

[nettie]

oh okay, well i'm glad it's not a harmful habit. It's it definitely gross when i pick him up to give him a smooch (he's a very cuddly duck) and realize he's got poop all around his mouth, lol....