Grit Ducklings

[Candy3]

I've recently gotten my first ducklings. Magpies now 6 weeks old. I gave them chick grit which is fine but they started eating It like it was food then coughing. One even had her tongue out. I was just about to go into panic when they went for a drink and this seemed to resolve it. They the just went straight back to it so I took it away. Is this normal?

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

Yes. Go for crumbles if you can. Pellets are a little too big, and they might not like those. Crumbles would do the best if you can find the right type.

If the grain is too fine, all they'll do is sneeze, cough and anything else they do while eating it. It's really good if you have a bucket of water deep enough for them to dunk their whole head in so they can clean their nostrils and handle the food a little better. Be sure to refresh the water at least once a day, cause they'll dirty it up fast.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

They would only need grit if you're feeding anything other than feed. If it was their first time with the grit, they probably thought it was a treat. When I provided grit to ducklings, I gave maybe a tablespoon the first time - not really a lot so they weren't so intrigued with it.
At 6 weeks are they still in the brooder? If not, they might not need grit depending on the area where they are kept outside.

 

[Candy3]

Thank you. I'm trying to feed as natural as possible. Whole wheat (still soaking at the moment) and a variety of veg, peas and mealworms. They have a pen at the moment but once they can't escape the fence I'm hoping to let them roam a little more. In the meantime I put in different things from the garden /walks they would get if they were roaming. They aren't in the brooder as they came from a croft and were already out wandering around

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Domestic ducks really need a complete feed. You do need to provide grit as none of that is feed. That's probably why they devoured the grit - they are starving. Go to your local farm store and pick up a bag of organic chick feed. That's a whole diet and as close as you're going to get to a "natural" feed for domestic ducks. Once they get older they will forage if your set up allows for that, but even then they will need to provide some feed.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

We have a duck forum with lots of knowledgeable people, they might have missed this post. If you want advice in the future, you might want to post in the duck forum.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ducks.42/
@Isaac 0
@Miss Lydia

 

[Candy3]

Domestic ducks really need a complete feed. You do need to provide grit as none of that is feed. That's probably why they devoured the grit - they are starving. Go to your local farm store and pick up a bag of organic chick feed. That's a whole diet and as close as you're going to get to a "natural" feed for domestic ducks. Once they get older they will forage if your set up allows for that, but even then they will need to provide some feed.

I asure you they are not starving. Their bowl wasn't empty. They definitely thought it was a treat as they weren't tamed so I've been giving them something everytime they see me to stop them being scared and that has certainly done the trick

 

[Candy3]

We have a duck forum with lots of knowledgeable people, they might have missed this post. If you want advice in the future, you might want to post in the duck forum.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/ducks.42/
@Isaac 0
@Miss Lydia

Thank you

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Also, this sticky topic might be of benefit to you.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/raising-and-caring-for-ducklings.750869/

 

[Crazy Maizie]

I asure you they are not starving. Their bowl wasn't empty. They definitely thought it was a treat as they weren't tamed so I've been giving them something everytime they see me to stop them being scared and that has certainly done the trick

Ducks are by nature nervous. That's not a complete diet.