Feeding Ducklings

[DuckDaddy29]

I just had a Mallard duckling hatch on September 10 along with 2 other ducklings that are Pekin ducklings. We will soon have an Mallard egg hatching near September 28. My concern is once the September 28 egg hatches, he will need to start off on starter feed while the other 3 older ducklings will be on starter/grower feed, which of course are 2 different feeds. Do I have to make a whole other coop for the new duckling to be sure that he’s eating the starter feed & not the grower feed? Or it doesn’t matter?

 

[sylviethecochin]

What're you feeding in the first place? What brand and what percent protein? Ducks aren't chicks; they need more protein. They should have 22%+ for the first two weeks. They should have 18% for the next eighteen weeks. Both percentages are usually advertised as "starter" with 22-24% being "allflock" or "flock starter" and 18% being "chick starter."

A higher percentage is unlikely to hurt the older ducks, but a lower percentage is likely to stunt the younger ducks.

As an aside: You can, of course, raise ducklings on less, and people do, all the time, but they won't be as healthy, or grow as quickly, as they would on a better diet. Same as you can raise a large-breed puppy on adult dog food. It'll work, and you may not ever notice that he's unhealthy, but he won't be as well off as a puppy raised on a proper diet.