feeding ducklings

[duckgirl04]

How old should ducklings be when you take them off of starter feed? We were having problems at one time with the ducklings getting choked on their food and we were told to mix the starter with water. They are now 3-4wks old and they act as if they are hungry all the time and we are feeding them 4+ times a day.

 

[Chris09]

I keep mine on Starter/Grower till they start laying eggs then I put them on a game bird layer/breeder pellet....

Chris

 

[CityChicker]

It depends on what exactly you are feeding as starter and what it is supplemented with. I virtually never mix water with starter. I am not sure why that would be necessary if the ducklings have access to plenty of water and are eating standard starter/grower of some sort.

When we use waterfowl starter, we begin taking them off of it at two weeks of age by adding a maintenance feed and oats. We also feed fresh greens from the time they are only a couple days old. Again, it just depends on what you are feeding.

The general consensus though among most of the prominent waterfowl breeders seems to be to begin reducing the protein as early as two weeks of age. I, personally, dislike using gamebird feed for waterfowl or using starter for several weeks. Doing so can (doesn't mean that it absolutely will) cause all sorts of problems unless they are also fed lots of greens or allowed to forage.

 

[duckgirl04]

Thanks for the info. The reason I began mixing water and food is because my ducklings were choking on their food. I was told to do this by a guy I have gotten ducks from before and he said to continue to do this until they were 4 wks old. what would happen is soon after feeding and watering them they would begin to flop their necks around, scratch at their faces and the flip over on their backs. They would die soon after these episodes. I am just now beginning to work with ducks. The girl at our local feed store told me to feed them game bird starter or chick starter. Although everywhere I have read has told me to begin grower pellets at age2 wks. You said to begin them on oats. What kind? is there any particular feed that is better. And what ages do you do what? I have another problem you may be able to help me with. I have a duck around 3months old that the other ducks pick on terribly.
She has what looks like club feet in humans. Both feet turn completely inward. I am thinking about splinting her little legs. I have become quite attached to my little Lilli and will let her live out her life with me as my special pet. I just want to know if I can help her with this problem.

 

[Chris09]

duckgirl04;
I feed Kalmbach Feed it seems to woork good...
This what I feed my (show, yard and meat) ducks and they seem to do very well.
From 1 day to laying age I feed Kalmbach Starter/Grower 1044 (its a ducks, goose, chick and gamebird starter/grower) http://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/1044.html. When they at laying age I switch them to Kalmbach Gamebird Breeder 759 http://www.kalmbachfeeds.com/759.html
As far as oats you can use just regular oats if you get your feed at a feed mill they might call it "bin oats"..

Chris

 

[CityChicker]

I honestly doubt that your ducks were actually choking on their feed. I am sure it looked like that is what was happening, but it was probably something else. I have raised hundreds of ducklings, mostly tiny little bantams, and never had one choke on its feed.

What is the brand and exact feed you are feeding? Are you adding anything to it at all? Please be specific. Feeds vary a lot in their composition. For example, I just looked up the feed that Chris is feeding and it is only 21% protein which is probably fine for ducks for the first several weeks and then beyond if greens/forage are added. Some Gamebird feeds though have up to 28% protein. The leg problem you are having could also be a feed related issue.

 

[Chick_a_dee]

I don't think our ducks have time to choke on their food... they throw it back like no tomorrow LOL. Ours are on a grower, it's actually a meat builder but it's lower in protein than the starter-grower. They're doing well on it, and I'll leave them on it until laying age.

 

[duckgirl04]

I looked at my food and it is Purina Game Bird Chow (Growth and Plumage). It is what the girl at the feed store recommended. She says she has no idea what grower pellets are. The way it appears on the bag is that it is 30% protein which is way to much (I believe). I am learning and have come to love our little ducks very much. I also have a bag of regular chick starter which is around 19-20%. What kind of supplements do you recommend? Also, the person I bought my original ducks from never told me to give the babies greens. My older ducks get to forage around in the yard. What kind of leafy greens do you suggest?

What else could have caused the neck movement, flipping on their backs and then dying? And what do you think possibly caused Lilli's leg deformity? I am a registered nurse and have thought of trying to splint her legs. Do you think this could possibly work?

I really appreciate all the information and help everyone is giving me. I need all the help I can get. I have hatched all these little ones and they are my babies.

 

[CityChicker]

It probably all is related to what you are feeding. I would get them off of that feed as soon as you can (30% protein is just too high for ducklings).

If you have some of the regular Purina chick starter, switch them to that and also add a source of Niacin like Brewer's yeast sprinkled on the food. If your feed store has Purina Flock Raiser, I would put them on that instead of the chick starter. It is 20% protein and has added Niacin.

When I mentioned supplementing the feed, I meant with oats and chopped greens. You can mix up to about 25% oats (rolled or whole) into your feed. I also give mine chopped greens daily, usually leaf lettuce.

The foot problem could be the excess protein and/or deficiency of something else like Riboflavin (which yeast also helps). The other ducklings dying I am sure is nutritional as well. Dave Holderread in one of his books describes almost the exact scenario you are describing as a B6 deficiency.

I would change the feed as soon as possible and then go from there. I don't know what to tell you on splinting the duckling with the foot issue. I have never done that, but it could work. Good luck to you!

 

[aBRG2far]

Quote:
Grass, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber mine will fight over a little weed called sour grass