Feed ? ducks or mice eating?mice eating ducks....

[mominoz]

I have been feeding my ducks in the morning and there

is still food in the feeders when I lock them in at night. (the feeders are in the aviary, they are locked into at night, and have access to in the day from their yards. Sometimes there is still feed in the morning. I know there are mice around, because I am finding mice turds int he mini- ducks feeders in the morning. (the minis' pen has galvinized 1/2 hardware cloth around, but have found dead mice in their pens ,either in the pool or partial body in a pen . ) I also see holes into the aviary, about mouse sized.

So I am thinking that the ducks may have mice feeding at their feeders at night.

So is it ok to remove feed at night and give it to them the next day when I let them out about 10:00,? If they dont' eat it by dark, they didn't need that much?They get bugs in their day yard & some greens....

 

[FenDruadin]

You should be fine removing it if they are adults. They don't have to feed constantly. In fact, you could just feed them once a day for 15 minutes or so, as long as there is at least one linear foot of space at the feeder per bird (otherwise, a few will hog the feed and the others won't get their share).

I've had mouse turds in my feeders too nearly every morning until this morning. My husband got a couple of ferrets as pets, and we had heard that mice can't stand the smell of them. So we've been letting them play in the duck pen during the day while the ducks are out and--well, I can't say much just yet but, there were no mouse turds in the feed this morning.

Not necessarily recommending ferrets for the job, but I thought it was interesting anyway.

 

[mominoz]

They are runners and minis- runners are laying, do you think 15 minutes a day is enough? Course I could just feed them in the morning, and put it up at night.....I hate to feed mice!