Food diet for Ducks

[Deni4]

Hello! Anyone recommend a diet for ducks to consume a healthy nutrition during these past cold weather days? It is usually around 90-100 F where i live but lately it is around 40-50 F. My ducks daily food is dried up corn and seeds, but would love for them to get calories for warmth right now. Sometimes i give them lettuce and watermelon too!

 

[Jenbirdee]

Do they also free range for insects?
Do you have animal feed stores in your area?

I actually get my duck feed online from chewy it’s delivered by auto ship. For my Ducks, I get two things-
. Kalmbach duck and goose feed pellets,
. Mazuri Waterfowl maintenance

I also buy bags of
. Crushed oyster shell
to leave some out in a dish on the side so my females get enough calcium they take what they need and the boys leave it alone.

For treats (10% of diet)
. Thawed out frozen peas
. Chopped lettuce or other green (but avoid spinach, and give kale in very small amounts)
. Mealworms or SoldierFly Larvae
. Watermelon

Ducks need niacin more than other poultry, and the corn and seeds you are feeding likely does not have enough for them. It would be much better to get an actual duck feed or an all flock feed. I get pellet form for the ducks instead of crushed.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Anyone recommend a diet for ducks to consume a healthy nutrition during these past cold weather days?

What breed are your ducks?

It is usually around 90-100 F where i live but lately it is around 40-50 F.

It is not what I would call "cold"...?

Will the temperatures get colder where you live?
What is the coldest you could get...?

My ducks daily food is dried up corn and seeds, but would love for them to get calories for warmth right now.

What percentage of corn are you feeding them, exactly?

Too much corn can get them overweight, and even actually kill them...!

Sometimes i give them lettuce and watermelon too!

Do they have access to grass during the days?

► All year round - even in Winter : my ducks are fed a mix of wheat and duck pellets, with an unlimited access to oyster shell grit in indivual feeders.

They don't need anything more, especially since they do have access to grass (and insects!) during the days, and are cold-hardy breeds anyway...

Still, sometimes, I also mix herbs with their food, plant-based pellets, or food grade Diatomaceous Earth.
Not that they actually need it... but I do that as a preventive measure.

• As treats, I give them boiled eggs when I have too much, given it is good for their health.

I tried giving them bananas several times, but most of my ducks don't like them...
(But they do like apples : they steal them from my chickens!)