Free Range Mineral Advice

[muscovy573]

Hey all!

So I am getting very close to getting my beautiful, wonderful ladies and gent Muscovy ducks out to pasture along with their kiddos, but i have some questions:

1) Do I need to be giving any free-choice minerals?
2) I will have ducklings also out; do they need anything more than the chick starter/yeast ?
3) What are the best ways to offer these things?
4) When should i let my kiddos out? They are currently in a brooder and i 4 more hatching as I type!

I will be letting them free range all day and maybe use some feed to get them back in the coop at night. Open to all advice! cant wait to get them out on pasture to watch them roam and enjoy the bugs in critters!

 

[Lil Drake40]

I don’t give my Muscovy’s any minerals . Mine are only on a half acre and I do offer free feed during the day. I have roofed feeder houses so the feed stays dry in rain and snow. Scrap wood comes in handy for this. If you duckling just now hatched I’d give them a secure pen for-at lest 3 weeks old or more than likely they will be picked off by preds. If your temps are not into mid to upper 80’s during the day you may want to brood them inside longer unless they are with a mama?

 

[chickens really]

Hello..I don't supply minerals. I keep Feed out 24/7. My Birds free range daily for a few hours and they are always going back to the Run for a few mouthfuls of feed..

 

[muscovy573]

Awesome! I have four one month old ducklings and have two hatching and two from yesterday in the brooder. They are all inside right now in (separate) brooders but I just got a small pen put up for the month olds to get outside for a bit each day. I have a 6 month old Great Pyrenees that has been doing a great job keeping our farm predator free! Just have to get her trained to the new babies and into the groove of protecting the pen.

I am currently in the process of building a coop to get my trio out on pasture as there in a covered 15'x20' dog pen. Just want to be assured I am setting them up for success once theyre out! Really want to see them roaming around catching bugs and swimming in the creek catching fish and crawdads!

 

[Lil Drake40]

I am sure they will have a wonderful life there sounds awesome! How about some pics when you can

 

[muscovy573]

I am sure they will have a wonderful life there sounds awesome! How about some pics when you can

Most definitively! I am terrible at those things (taking pictures) because im always runnin around. My boy LOVES checking his "chickens" (he doesnt believe theyre ducks LOL) and catching fish and dads out of the creek so im trying my best to finish the coop to get them out. Ill take a pic of the set up i have them in now and of the Mommas and my daddy as soon as i am home!!

seriously love these ducks. always had chickens so these guys are just so much more fun to watch and their character is amazing.

 

[Lil Drake40]

I do love my Scovys. They are special. Look forward to seeing them