My Duck is a picky eater...

[kedralynn]

So we got a pet duck last year at a fair. He was a baby and we raised him on his duck feed just fine. However, as he got older, he started eating the dog's food. She's a small dog so if she can reach the food, so can he. We were misinformed by a girl at the feed store saying dog food is fine. It's not! Our vet wants us to get him back on duck feed but he's so picky. He doesn't want it. We even tried mixing the dog food in with the feed to trick him into eating some. But he spits it out!

He used to be on Flockraiser and we are trying it again. I'm not sure if it's worth it to dish out the money for Mazuri duck feed if he won't eat it...

Does anyone know if there are supplements we can give him? Vitamins or something we could put in his food or water? Or maybe something we use to get him to like his food?

We also give him lettuce but he doesn't like tomatoes or various other fruits and vegetables that I read were ok. Oh he's also an indoor duck, who wears a harness and spends most of his day following me around from room to room. He does go outside 3 times a day to forge in the yard for bugs and dirt and to swim. But he's just such a picky eater... Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks.

 

[Kevin565]

Have you tried mixing in wet dog food into the duck feed?

Also does he free range some?

I would suggest adding electrolytes to his water.

Does he like fish? Raising fish for them is actually quite simple

 

[kedralynn]

We tried some fish and he pretty much just played with them until they died. He had fun, but once they stopped swimming, he got bored. He loves crickets from the pet store tho.

We'll try some wet food to get the flavor into his food. But I don't want him to start expecting it. The problem with the dog food is that it's so high in protein.

As for free range, we live in town so all he has is our backyard. We do go out there multiple times a day and he'll eat the bugs and grass. We want to re-landscape back there tho so for a while there won't be a lawn out there and I'll have to take him to the front yard (which I hate doing because there's a ton of cats and dogs roaming the neighborhood.)

We've been trying to find something to add to his water. There aren't really any feed stores in our area so we'll have to drive a ways but it's worth it if we can get what he needs!

Thanks.

 

[PetesMom]

Do you have a tractor supply near you? they have an electrolyte/vitamin powder. It's in a little white bottle

 

[Miss Lydia]

If you have preds like dogs especially I wouldn't take him into the front yard unless you can put him into something like a dog X pen and then don't leave him alone. Can you just feed the dog in a different part of the house where the duck can't get to the food? and keep it put up when the dog isn't eating it? And

 

[kedralynn]

Thanks.

I've been bringing the dog food down to feed the dog and then put it back up. The dog hates it cuz she's used to eating whenever she feels like it. So I'm thinking maybe I'll put her food on our bed during the day. And the duck sleeps in a giant pen by the bed at night so I can put the dog food down then. We could probably move that pen outside for him to forge. But I'll still stay outside with him. I don't trust how all my neighbors let their pets run free down the street!

 

[kedralynn]

Do you have a tractor supply near you? they have an electrolyte/vitamin powder. It's in a little white bottle

I'll look into it and see if we do. If not, maybe I can order some somewhere.