Feeding questions

[stoutfamily]

I currently have one chicken (a 15 week old EE) and one duckling whose age I can't seem to keep track of, but probably like 6 weeks. I really have no clue how to keep ducks, my husband just HAD to have one though. The feed store told us it was alright to feed them both the unmedicated starter/grower feed. Now I've read so many different things about both animals, I'm confused as to what age chickens start to eat layer feed. I know they can start to lay around 24 weeks, so do I feed her layer feed before then? Or wait until she lays? Also, is it okay for her to eat duck feed? Or okay for the duck to eat her feed? Having both has me lost! I've been feeding them separately (chicken in the house) because the ducks eats so quickly the chicken hardly gets any, but ideally, I'd like to feed them together. I know this isn't the duck section, but I'm more concerned about feeding the chicken and making sure she eats properly.
Thanks for any help or suggestions!

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

You could feed them both a good gamebird starter. I had a goose in with my chicken chicks, they all ate out of the same feeder. Its one of those long, red ones with holes in it that the chicks put their head through. The goose couldn't get to all of the feed to gobble it up. I sprinkled it around on the floor a couple of times a day to make sure he was getting enough feed. The unmedicated chick starter will be fine if you don't want to use the gamebird feed. Keep them on that until they start to lay, then switch them to layer feed. Good luck!

 

[Miss Lydia]

Quote:
Since you say you know absolutely nothing about Ducks I would advise you to go hang out on the duck thread, you'll learn so much, for one did you know the duck needs a waterer that it can put it's whole bill into. It has to be able to wash out it's nares. Good luck and hopefully you will enjoy both the chick and the duck!! and your chick will get pretty sloppy living with a duck, because ducks are very messy. Might be a good idea to get another chick for the chick and another duckling for the duck and keep them in separate brooders. till they move to the coop. But of course thats up to you.

 

[stoutfamily]

Thanks!

The feeder is a great idea because the duck sure does gobble up the food! I have one and I didn't even think about using it.

The duck has a little kids swimming pool to swim in and drink and a large bowl of water to share with the chicken so it's good in the water department. We did have two chickens but one of them just up and disappeared last week, still don't know where she went. Both the duck and the chicken free range our yard, and haven't been in brooders for a while. The duck is terribly messy though, and I couldn't imagine the mess of two!