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!)

 

[Deni4]

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.

the backyard is quite big, and they do tend to get some insects. Not a lot thought..It got me worried that it wasn’t sufficient for them especially right now that all the insects are not coming above the soil with the drastic weather change for us used to the burning heat
THANKKK YOUUU SO MUCH for the online recommendation! My two ducks are male, does that mean they will eat less? Again, thank you for the list of options!!!

 

[Deni4]

What breed are your ducks?

Hello! one is an American pekin duck and the other one is a mallard duck. Both are male!

 

[Deni4]

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

It’s rlly not but my ducks are used to the hot weather

 

[Deni4]

What percentage of corn are you feeding them, exactly?

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

it’s been five years and they have been healthy, they do a lot of walking too. I give them corn in you know those bowls of dogs, they are like three inches wide and two inches depth. Three times per day.

 

[Deni4]

it’s been five years and they have been healthy, they do a lot of walking too. I give them corn in you know those bowls of dogs,they are like three inches wide and two inches depth. Three times per

Hi.



What breed are your ducks?



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

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



What percentage of corn are you feeding them, exactly?

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



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!)

Yes they have access to lots of grass!! Thank you for the recommendation, I appreciate it! mine too, they don’t seem to like bananas. Raised quite the picky babiesI love them so much though I’ll vary their food from now on, thanks!

 

[BoundlessLove]

Hi, Deni, and a Belated Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
One question I have: Do you also keep chickens?
If so, you can look at “All Flock”feeds. That way you aren’t having to buy two or more separate feeds.

 

[Papaye]

Hi.

Hello! one is an American pekin duck and the other one is a mallard duck. Both are male!

It’s rlly not but my ducks are used to the hot weather

Ok, so... you actually don't have to worry about the cold : Pekin and Mallard ducks are very cold-hardy.

it’s been five years and they have been healthy, they do a lot of walking too. I give them corn in you know those bowls of dogs, they are like three inches wide and two inches depth. Three times per day.

...And your ducks are not overweight with so much corn?
I am impressed. Especially considering the fact that Pekin ducks are said to gain weight easily...!

I have recently bought an overweight Streicher (Abacot Ranger) duck hen, and I am pretty sure she is so big because her diet consisted of too much corn.
But because of that, even her reproductive system appears to be affected - I can tell because her plumage has molted ugly, kind of male-like (which happens when the active ovary is damaged)...
(So, now : I am taking good care of her, so she can be healthy again. But NO CORN for her!)

Yes they have access to lots of grass!!

Good!!

Adult ducks don't actually eat a lot of grass : they, in fact, prefer searching for INSECTS in the grass...
But even the little bit they eat makes the differences in their health.

Thank you for the recommendation, I appreciate it! mine too, they don’t seem to like bananas. Raised quite the picky babiesI love them so much though I’ll vary their food from now on, thanks!

You are welcome!!

My ducks are terribly obsessed with boiled eggs, so they love me so much whenever they see I bring them some...
(And I have not even raised them by hand!!)
Besides, contrary to my chickens, they even eat the egg white...!!

...Ducklings like rasberries, but they first need to be incited by their mama to eat them.

I also give strawberries to adult ducks, but most of them are not interested.

For the other fruits, it is 50/50 - apart from apples, since ducks are crazy about them.

Pretty much half of my ducks eat grapes, blackberries, pears, etc... but ONLY if I directly gave these fruits to them : they don't seem to steal them from the bushes/vines/trees... (or, if they do, they do that when I am not looking!)

► What they don't eat is eaten by the chickens anyway, so, at least, nothing is wasted!