Feeding Ducklings

[michellemcfeely]

I am curious this is my 1st time hatching duck eggs. I am not 100% sure what I should feed them when they first hatch and this may sound silly how quickly do they start eating?

 

[Going Quackers]

Well what is available near you? for me i use flock raiser but there are other options, duck starter for instance, or some use non-medicated chick starter but you'll need added niacin for that.


I believe it's around day 2-3, but i usually start everything off right there from hatch, now i only hatch using a mama duck so obviously she needs food anyways.

 

[Rosie42892]

I know that in a hatchery situation may wait until 72 hours (after shipping) but I would think that it wouldn't hurt to have it available from the start.

 

[michellemcfeely]

To be honest I haven't looked yet. I'm on day 5 of incubation so I have a little time. I have 4 different feed stores close to me to choose from once I have an idea what is the best for them. I ordered a vitamin from Meters to add to their water. Also what kind of bedding is best for their brooder box?

 

[michellemcfeely]

They will be kept in my kitchen for the first couple weeks in a large rubber tote with a wire/wood top so no one can get in or out

 

[Rosie42892]

To be honest I haven't looked yet. I'm on day 5 of incubation so I have a little time. I have 4 different feed stores close to me to choose from once I have an idea what is the best for them. I ordered a vitamin from Meters to add to their water. Also what kind of bedding is best for their brooder box?

If you have a tractor supply, or any feed store that deals purina products, you can find the Flock Raiser 20% that many of us use. Many people use pine shavings, towels, or rubbing cabinet liner type material. For the first few days, sometimes up to a week, I keep paper towels down over the bedding to help strengthen their little legs! I still add niacin to the water even while feeding flock raiser, just as a precaution.

 

[Going Quackers]

I'd certainly make some calls so you can research what is your best bet of the options. I start all mine off with shavings. The bulk of my birds are raised by ducks, on occasion i do buy day olds and i raise them the same way, although usually i start adding horse wood pellet bedding to the shavings by 3wks or so as the water splashing increases.

 

[pastryman]

My ducklings eat non medicated chicken starter, oatmeal, finely shredded carrot and apple in water (with a little olive oil or cod oil), chicken or duck eggs, mashed peas and corn in water and finely grinded oat, barley, wheat and corn (I use a coffeegrinder for this just before serving = saves vitamins). And LOTS of fresh water.

Hope you can understand my English (I am danish).

On this my orpington ducklings go from 50 grams to 1200 grams in one month.

By the way, I give them a little sand now and then after a few days, and some small stones 1-2 mm after two weeks.

 

[jdywntr]

My ducklings eat non medicated chicken starter, oatmeal, finely shredded carrot and apple in water (with a little olive oil or cod oil), chicken or duck eggs, mashed peas and corn in water and finely grinded oat, barley, wheat and corn (I use a coffeegrinder for this just before serving = saves vitamins). And LOTS of fresh water.

Hope you can understand my English (I am danish).

On this my orpington ducklings go from 50 grams to 1200 grams in one month.

By the way, I give them a little sand now and then after a few days, and some small stones 1-2 mm after two weeks.

Perfectly understandable and a very fine diet.

Like GQ said, I'd start them off with food and water as soon as they are out of the incubator. They can wait 2-3 days but I think it's better to give them something as soon as possible. Just like shipped ducklings, you'll need to show them where food and water is since there is no momma there to teach them.

What you feed is what you have available and you should have a lot of choice with that many stores. Purina, Nutrena, Manna Pro, Dumor etc as well as locally milled feeds are fine. My local feed store gets there products from a local mill. It is about 2/3 the $ of TSC so much better on my pocket. I did have to ask them to get unmedicated feed for me, which they did though I have to call every 2 weeks, and they don't have as big of a variety available. The chick starter they have is 18% protein so everyone is on that until they are old enough for layer pellets. Makes feeding a little more difficult but I used hanging chicken feeders for the layer pellet so little ducklings can't get in there.