Live Minnows. How much is too much?

[HeatherKellyB]

Hi! I have a flock of 4 ducks. A Pekin Duck (Honey Boo Boo), a Buff Orpington Duck (Tom), a Pekin Drake (Reggie), and a Cayuga Drake (Stormy). Many of you have given me amazing advice for my chronic foot patient, Honey Boo Boo, and I am so grateful for you! I am wrapping Honey's foot every to every other night, so of course I feel like she needs some type of reward. She perfers her rewards in the form of fresh caught minnows (or store bought ~she's not picky whenever it comes to minnows). With her being a forever patient I'm not allowing the ducks to free range (plus I'm finding thick loads of briars all around the pond which is possibly the cause of her bumblefoot way back in the beginning and we have a family of 3 red foxes that frequent our property). So, I use a net to catch minnows every night. Right now the minnows are plentiful and all along the bank. I've found that it's addicting to fish and constantly catch something. I've held you up way to long so, let me get to my question. I'm worried that I'm giving them too many minnows and I don't want to make them sick or cause any harm. Is there a recommended amount of minnows to offer each day? Should I not be giving them daily? I've tried many other treat options and they just turn their bills up at everything except for minnows, water crickets, and the black yard crickets, but everything must be alive. They tried green Peas and that was a fairly quick pass. Tom and Stormy like raisins a little bit but Honey does not - Reggie doesn't grasp the concept of it being an edible treat because it doesn't move-. They'll occasionally eat boiled or scrambled egg but they'll only nibble at it. Thoughts?

I apologize for the LONG and drawn out post. I'm summary challenged and don't get to interact with adults very often. Please overlook me, but feel free to offer up some advice, tips, suggestions, knowledge, whatever you've got. I will sincerely appreciate it!

Back to add more (sorry!)
Edited to add that they are fed Southern States Floating Waterfowl Feed and I recently added Nutrena Duck Feed mixed in to get rid of it. They're not impressed with the Nutrena Duck Feed at all. They also have access to grit and oyster shell to take as needed

 

[Cecisflock]

thats a good question i have been wondering too! everything ive read says go for it just give it after laying an egg

 

[HeatherKellyB]

thats a good question i have been wondering too! everything ive read says go for it just give it after laying an egg

I feed them to my ducks at night after wrapping Honey's foot and carrying her down to the duck house while the others waddle along right behind us. My daughter (9 years old) prefers the duck eggs over chicken eggs. I don't believe the minnows have had any impact on their eggs. I'll have to try them myself. Honey is the only one laying as Tom still hasn't resumed laying since her molt. Not sure what's going on there, but Honey lays EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I wish she'd take a break occasionally.

 

[Cassandra Lana]

have you tryed mealworms? All my birds go crazy for those

 

[Cecisflock]

I feed them to my ducks at night after wrapping Honey's foot and carrying her down to the duck house while the others waddle along right behind us. My daughter (9 years old) prefers the duck eggs over chicken eggs. I don't believe the minnows have had any impact on their eggs. I'll have to try them myself. Honey is the only one laying as Tom still hasn't resumed laying since her molt. Not sure what's going on there, but Honey lays EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. I wish she'd take a break occasionally.

i mean minnow are just protein right? how much impact can it really have?

 

[Ratchnick]

There are diving duck species that eat primarily fish.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

have you tryed mealworms? All my birds go crazy for those

I have and was baffled at them not having any interest whatsoever. My chickens go nuts for them

 

[Ratchnick]

I have and was baffled at them not having any interest whatsoever. My chickens go nuts for them

Keep trying, sometimes they need time to warm up to a new food.

 

[DukesDucks]

Glad to hear someone else's ducks turn up their beak at peas. Depending on how warm it is where you are, mine loved watermelon during the hot summer. Also earth worms during the summer. The bigger the better. Makes for crazy games of chase.
My thought about the minnows is that if the ducks were in the pond, they would be eating as many as they could catch.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Glad to hear someone else's ducks turn up their beak at peas. Depending on how warm it is where you are, mine loved watermelon during the hot summer. Also earth worms during the summer. The bigger the better. Makes for crazy games of chase.
My thought about the minnows is that if the ducks were in the pond, they would be eating as many as they could catch.

They do like earthworms and I notice them hunting for them every morning. I've noticed a lot of slugs and figured they'd like them, but they don't seem to go after them. I have about 30 minnows that I've caught tonight and they can finish them off in a matter of a few minutes. The ducks, Honey and Tom, always get the majority but I try to make sure Reggie and Stormy get a few. Honey believes that they are all hers and will pitch quite the fit if she notices Tom getting too many. I have tried multiple tubs of water but Honey drives herself crazy running frantically to each one and I'm afraid she's going to hurt herself. The breed that's supposed to be the most docile are the ones that get the angriest about the possibility of others getting more. It's like four kindergarteners fighting for candy out of a just broken piñata.