How can I slim down my Duck?

[K4zn4v3]

My muscovy drake is 16 pounds and very over weight. I am wondering how I can make him skinnier and more healthy. Its getting to the point where he looks like he has trouble walking becuase his stomach hangs down so low. Right now he has access to a bowl of 16% protien 24/7 and he free ranges during the day. My first step is going to be taking the bowl away and feeding him on a schedule. Aprox. how much food should he be getting everyday so that he is not getting more than he needs. I will also be switching him to a lower percent protein food. How much protein should he be getting? If anybody has any other ideas or some input I would love to hear it. Here is a picture of him so you can see how fat he is.

 

[blueducklings]

He is so cute!!
I read in the Holderread's book that he keeps his ducks food as far away as the water so they get a good workout just to eat.
I've seen pictures of his pens and they are LONG.
Hope that helps.

 

[Bleenie]

yes, exercise is a good thing! I am expecting all mine to start putting on pounds since they're locked up right now

normally they run back and forth from our creek and their pen for food.

Maybe, if he's only able to range your yard, you could build a platform for his food to sit on so he has to climb some steps to get to it?

 

[Wifezilla]

Is the primary ingredient in your food corn? If so, reducing how much he eats will make him skinny, but not less fat. In other words he will lose weight, but it will come from muscle tissue, not fat stores. More greens, more exercise, and less corn in his diet will help him slim down without making him unhealthy.

 

[K4zn4v3]

Quote:
He doesnt have any corn in his diet. He eats 16% protein pellets and the occasional can of peas. Its funny, I could never get him to eat peas before but then I got another duck who loves them, he saw her eating them and now he likes them.

 

[Wifezilla]

Read your pellet feed ingredients. It's mostly corn.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

He does not need food 24 hours per day. Restrict his feeding to 2-3 times per day. That will force him to start to forage for food, which means move around.

 

[FenDruadin]

I would just add that rather than restricting him to a specific amount of food, you might do as Duck ABC's suggests and restrict him to certain times of day. My ducks only get fed once a day, and when that food is gone it's gone till the next feeding. I make sure to give them roughly the amount they can clean up in about 15 minutes. If you're not sure how much that is, then just time him--after 15 minutes, take the food away.

I also agree that paying attention to *what* he is eating is even more important than how much. I learned that for myself in Weight Watchers (where, for the record, I lost 45 pounds to reach my current slender, healthy, HAPPY figure, lol). Read the label and see what's in the feed. If you can't get something pre-mixed with lower levels of corn, see if you can get someone to pre-mix.

If he's foraging more and eating less feed, he will naturally choose healthier foods too--grass and bugs are great sources of nutrition, and he'll be more motivated to find & eat them if he's getting less pre-mixed food.

And the exercise suggestions are excellent too.

Good for you for caring. I know someone with a very obese dog and they joke about it all the time, but never do anything--just keep giving him more treats and more snacks and ... it's very frustrating. I feel for the dog. Your duck is lucky you care enough to help him be healthy.

 

[The Duck ABC's]

Congratulations on your weight loss. I, myself, shed 100 pounds. I had to undergo surgery, because it was due to an illness.

We as human beings can control the weight of our loved pets. True love means doing anything to achieve a healthy life style for them. What we do with our own bodies is a different story.

I also have an overweight dog. It was very frustrating, because we were restricting her food. She was eating less then the other 3 dogs and still looked like a barrel. We took her to the vet, and he tested her thyroid. It was not working at all, so we finally had an answer. She is now on thyroid meds and doing well. She has lost over 10 pounds in the past 4 months, but needs to loose another 10. We can see a difference in her. Her energy levels are up, so is her appetite LOL, and her fur is much nicer now too. I guess eating duck eggs does help too.

 

[un-named]

Quote:
a small treadmill for ducks?