Former Bedraggled Ducks

[SkyWarrior]

Late summer, I adopted three ducks: two Cayuga and one Rouen. Long story short, the woman who gave them to me was wrong about their sexes -- the Cayugas were a male and female and the Rouen was a female. No biggie.

Anyway, they were the sorriest ducks I've ever seen with the worst plumage. I'd like to say it was molt, but they weren't molting--they just looked bedraggled and awful. Today, I looked at them in my duck flock and they look all shiny and sleek. I'd like to say it was something wonderful I did, but I can't. I feed them a mix of sweet feed (12%), layer(16-20%), wheat grass, and now meatbird (22%) feed. I'll give them scraps of meat and vegetables. And I give them water in a heated bucket in winter and a pool in the summer.

They look healthy and I keep thinking I should feed higher protein, but it's pretty pricey. But they look really good on this diet and all my ducks and geese look healthy.

So, it makes me wonder what on earth did this person feed their ducks? And why, with minimal care do I have nice looking ducks? (If a little muddy!)

For your amusement, some photos:

At the watering hole at 15F:

Some of the ducks:

 

[Amiga]

It seems to me there's some misinformation handed down that cracked corn or scratch are all a duck needs. Perhaps in some situations, some seasons, some places, where they can forage for all the bugs and greens and seeds they can eat, but I think not everyone has the same approach to duck husbandry as what I've seen on this forum.

So, there are plenty of opportunities for education.