How to feed drakes and ducks who live together ?

[JaredandLauren]

You probably don't need to go the extra mile that we do. If your ducks are separate from your chickens you can probably just feed duck maintenance food and provide oyster shells. Lots of BYC members do that.

Yes they are separate from the chickens , I suppose I can do the maintenance food and add free choice oyster shells. Thanks!

 

[4Duckssofar]

I’m in the UK and currently have 4 girls one boy. I’m feeding them duck and goose grower pellets. None of my girls have started laying yet but I’m thinking it will be very soon. Am I ok to keep everyone on the grower feed and just add oyster shell on the side?! I just want to be sure all of them are getting enough of what they should be.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I feed my ducks Kalmbach's 16% Non-GMO Maintenance feed and offer gray oyster shells on the side. I top their feed with a combo of flax+chia+fish oil which has a great 3-6-9 omega ratio that not only adds healthy fat to their diet, but it also gives a great little protein boost. They have 30 acres of bluegrass/Timothy/clover fields to forage from 8am-7pm before they are locked in the barn at night so they have ample access to fresh greens and TONS of bugs! During the day I set out several large bowls of feed under the lean-too off of the barn along with keeping the barn door open and all of their food dishes inside filled. That way they have 24/7 access to several different feed locations. My ducks do absolutely fantastic being fed this way and I have never had a duck with reproductive issues.

 

[KaleIAm]

I feed my ducks Kalmbach's 16% Non-GMO Maintenance feed and offer gray oyster shells on the side. I top their feed with a combo of flax+chia+fish oil which has a great 3-6-9 omega ratio that not only adds healthy fat to their diet, but it also gives a great little protein boost. They have 30 acres of bluegrass/Timothy/clover fields to forage from 8am-7pm before they are locked in the barn at night so they have ample access to fresh greens and TONS of bugs! During the day I set out several large bowls of feed under the lean-too off of the barn along with keeping the barn door open and all of their food dishes inside filled. That way they have 24/7 access to several different feed locations. My ducks do absolutely fantastic being fed this way and I have never had a duck with reproductive issues.

You've never had a duck with reproductive issues? How old are your ducks? What kind are they? I'm fascinated.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

You've never had a duck with reproductive issues? How old are your ducks? What kind are they? I'm fascinated.

Nope! There are several (now retired) vets/vet techs in the family so I've always taken their advice on feeding my ducks. They actually advised against feeding layer because they said layer feed was created by farmers to increase egg production and that ducks weren't designed to be on added calcium 24/7 which is why so many have reproductive issues (they said their reproductive systems get put into overdrive with the excess calcium).
They instead advised to create an environment as much like their natural habitat would be with calcium offered on the side and as much foraging as possible. I have hens from 3 years and under currently and breeds are Hookbill's, Rouens, Mallards and a runner. I also never had any health issues with my flock besides some minor bumble due to our last place being flooding during a hurricane which washed up a bunch of glass and metal (guy who lived there before us was a belligerent littering drunk according to the neighbors). We have moved since thank goodness, but other than that minor bumble it has been pretty uneventful here. I don't know if it's for everyone to feed the way I do, but so far it has worked beautifully for me!

 

[Miss Lydia]

It's so nice when you have a choice of feed to choose from. Here I don't I am just thankful to be able to buy NON GMO. But to get it I have to buy Layer and I buy starter and mix them half and half. It's to expensive for me to have feed shipped[ retired] and the nearest feed store beside ours is 25 miles one way, Just isn't feasible to drive there and back. I don't like having to feed layer but cutting it with the starter makes me feel some better about it.
Thankfully my girls haven't had any laying problems other than a soft shell once in a while. females from age 14 down to age 2 with my ducks and age 8 down to 2 months with my chickens.

 

[KaleIAm]

Nope! There are several (now retired) vets/vet techs in the family so I've always taken their advice on feeding my ducks. They actually advised against feeding layer because they said layer feed was created by farmers to increase egg production and that ducks weren't designed to be on added calcium 24/7 which is why so many have reproductive issues (they said their reproductive systems get put into overdrive with the excess calcium).
They instead advised to create an environment as much like their natural habitat would be with calcium offered on the side and as much foraging as possible. I have hens from 3 years and under currently and breeds are Hookbill's, Rouens, Mallards and a runner. I also never had any health issues with my flock besides some minor bumble due to our last place being flooding during a hurricane which washed up a bunch of glass and metal (guy who lived there before us was a belligerent littering drunk according to the neighbors). We have moved since thank goodness, but other than that minor bumble it has been pretty uneventful here. I don't know if it's for everyone to feed the way I do, but so far it has worked beautifully for me!

That's very interesting, thank you so much for sharing with me. I'm curious how your methods will work as your ducks continue to age. My own ducks got EYP and reproductive cancers around year 5+. I've been curious about mallards being healthier, too, because of less inbreeding.

My ducks are quite a bit older, 7.5 and 6.5, and I have had a lot of health and especially reproductive issues with them. Their team of avian vets knows I don't care about egg production, but insists they need layer pellets. They will likely be my last ducks because I can't tolerate the emotional cost of such medically fragile pets.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

That's very interesting, thank you so much for sharing with me. I'm curious how your methods will work as your ducks continue to age. My own ducks got EYP and reproductive cancers around year 5+. I've been curious about mallards being healthier, too, because of less inbreeding.

My ducks are quite a bit older, 7.5 and 6.5, and I have had a lot of health and especially reproductive issues with them. Their team of avian vets knows I don't care about egg production, but insists they need layer pellets. They will likely be my last ducks because I can't tolerate the emotional cost of such medically fragile pets.

Awe I'm sorry you and your ducks have had to go through that I have heard people have been given both answers by vets and I think at the end of the day we need to consider the expert's opinions, do our own research and make whatever decisions we feel best for our birds. I really wish all vets would get together and come up with a consensus on their answers though because it would make things a little easier. I know even with my Shetland sheepdog I had one vet trying to get me to dock his tail and give a medication known to cause seizures in sheltie's so I very quickly changed vets and the new vet said they wanted to strangle the previous vet for even suggesting such a thing. It all hurts my head some days

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

Mine free range ..so i dont offer feed in morning ..otherwise they hang around and wont forage..but i feed all flock..plus i buy naicin and grind the whole bottle..i sprinkle it on top of late afternoon feeding..before they go to bed at night. Mine are 4yrs..buffs. i have one drake whom is my main breeder..i keep the best drake of each years offspring as buffs were just recently moved up to threathened from endangered. I havent had any problems..they all brood and hatch their own..i do offer oyster shell as well as i sterilze and grind their shells and add back to feed.