Feeding help

[needlessjunk]

So I'm having a hard time keeping food out for my ducks. The dogs keep eating it! We hae progressed now that the ducks and dogs are allowed out supervised and so I watch the ducks like a hawk and one of the dogs always makes a beeline for the food. Should I just start pulling it up all the time or can I switch to just feeding them at certain hours? They are 7 weeks tomorrow and get food and water in the house all night. I would also like to cut that out so there is less mess but I don't know if that is an option if I only feed them at certain times during the day. They pretty much free range my fenced in yard all day now and eat lots and lots of grass and weeds.

 

[Onlyducks]

I only feed my ducks in the morning and then at night if they don't free range. Usually, they just run over, eat for a while and then they're done. I've done that all along. You might not need to feed them in the morning if they free range. When mine are out all day, I just feed them at night. There's really no way to cut out nighttime food and water. There are ideas for cleaner watering containers on this forum that might help. Duck are just messy creatures!

 

[needlessjunk]

I do have a less mess container for water and I wasn't sure if I was clear. I meant to still feed them in the evenings just not free access all night.

 

[Onlyducks]

I know of no reason why ducks would need food overnight. Some people don't feed overnight simply because it is messy. My ducks have always gotten food around 5 pm and then no more till morning. If they ran out, that was it, and they often ran out. If at 7 weeks your ducks are mostly full grown, it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Tevyes Dad]

X2 on no food/water at night.

If they have food, they NEED water, but if they have neither, they do just fine. When I gave my ducks food and water in their house at night, they spilled/splashed/slurped all the water into their bedding in the first hour leaving a potential choking situation of having food but no water. After their first night with no food or water, they sprinted out the door straight to the food and water like they were starved and thirsty, but since then, they see the sun start going down and they eat and drink plenty before going in. In the morning some go eat first, some drink first some hop around and flap their wings and some just lie in the sun. There is no desperation, so I think they are fine and it sure is nice to keep all the mess outside their house.

 

[Quackers Mama]

I do the same with Quackers, no food or water when he's in bed. He has the same meal time schedule as my cats lol. 9Am (or later if Quackers is still asleep, yes my cats have to wait til his/her highness wakes up lol) breakfast, dinner at 8:30-9pm. His bedtime is between 10-11pm, he'll stay asleep all night till about 8-10am. If he goes to bed early then he'll make a bee line for the cats dry food lol. Most mornings he comes out, stretches, & follows me around til I sit down. He's about 6 weeks old now & I've been doing it this way for the past couple of weeks.

 

[donkeydew2farms]

needlessjuck I have the same problem with my dogs.i put food out in the morning while my dogs are in and then when I get home they get another cup full while I watch the two dogs. mine free range . they get peas for bed time and water no other food at night. aren't dogs silly.

 

[needlessjunk]

needlessjuck I have the same problem with my dogs.i put food out in the morning while my dogs are in and then when I get home they get another cup full while I watch the two dogs. mine free range . they get peas for bed time and water no other food at night. aren't dogs silly.

Oh yes... Silly dogs! They are on grain free dog food too since one has problems with grains. Kinda defeats the whole purpose.