Help me raise my Muscovy ducklings!

[Castlemaid]

Raising ducklings for the first time. I've acquired 3 balls of fluff. They are in a brooder in the house at the moment (we've been having a COLD WET summer!). They are a week old, and I've had them for a week. Nobody told me these are crazed eating machines, holy cow! They've pretty much doubled in size since I got them!

So I have a book on raising ducks, and it is so detailed and definite on what Muskovy ducklings need, you pretty much have to have your own feed mill and chemical lab to meet all the book's requirements. I'm thinking it can't be that hard, and many people have done just fine with the basics.

For now, they are on 22% premium chick starter crumble, which the feed store said that as per the manufacturer is suitable for ducklings. I've also been giving them a handful or two of greens from the yard and garden per day. My readings and research say that too much protein and too much calcium is harmful to growing ducklings and to switch them off the chick/waterfowl starter after two weeks. Will switching them to 16% layer pellets (which I have) be okay? Or is that too high in calcium for the ducklings. Can I keep them on the grower crumbles for longer than two weeks?

Also, please send good vibes in hoping they all turn out to be females, as I already have a drake, and really don't want to start Muskovy WW1 in my back yard, LOL.

 

[chickenlittle21]

Layers feed would have to much calcium. You should switch over to waterfowl starter ASAP

 

[nao57]

Actually I don't know if the time deadline for switching the protein mix ratio on ducklings is the same for muscovy ducklings? Does anyone know about this?

 

[Isaac 0]

A very easy solution would be to just switch them over to Purina Flock Raiser, and all you'll have to do is start offering them a calcium source once they're around the point of lay.

https://www.purinamills.com/chicken-feed/products/detail/purina-flock-raiser-crumbles

No cutting protein needed.

 

[Castlemaid]

I should have added, I live in a remote area, in Canada. I don't think that any of the feed stores here carry Purina. Only products from local feed mills.

One place carries a 16% Barnyard grower/finisher, for ducks and geese,
the other place carries a 16% Turkey/Game bird finisher.

So it seems Layer pellets is a no-go? Too much calcium? I've never been to the place that has the ducks and geese finisher as it is farther from me than my regular feed store (which is 50 km away as it is.)

 

[Humanbean68]

I used unmedicated chick starter with added Brewers yeast, then switched them to regular layer mash with added Brewers yeast. There is no duck specific food available here and so far everyone is fine. I have two adult females who have been on layer mash since I got them, and three 10 week old drakes that I followed the above protocol with, just stopping their Brewers yeast now.

 

[Castlemaid]

@Humanbean68, how much brewers yeast did you add? Was it mixed in to their food, or offered separately?

 

[Humanbean68]

@Humanbean68, how much brewers yeast did you add? Was it mixed in to their food, or offered separately?

1.5 TBSP per cup of food, and I just mix it in.

 

[Castlemaid]

Thank you! I'll do that!