My duck wont stop eating poop!

[peepsandquacks]

Is this normal? My boy duck will hike around the pen picking up poop (his or his sisters) and chowing down.

He always waits till its hard and dried out, then picks them up and eats them like triscuits. It grosses me out. They are fed fresh food/water 2x a day.
I fill the water tray half with food, and let it fill the other half with water, so one side has mostly water (some of the food disolves into it), and the other side has moist food. I do this because when its only water, they obsess over it (they will drink a ltr in 2 hrs with out food) and wont eat at all.

Is this normal duck behavior? Something I shouldnt worry about? I dont want him getting sick, but he seems to prefer the poop cookies more then his normal food.

By the way he is 1 week old.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

Quote:
Yuck. My dog used to do that too. It stopped after a while. Sorry I can't help with the "why" part.

 

[duckluck]

If you're saying he is only one week old, my best guess would be that he is stocking his gut with the beneficial digestive bacteria that is shed in his feces. I don't know if ducks do this or how much they do it, but I can tell you in horses we see foals do that all the time as youngsters, and they are doing exactly that, but usually they are eating their dam's manure for this purpose. We don't stop them or try to inhibit them because it is nature's way of preparing them for starting to eat solid food. It may be that ducklings do that if they have their mother present but won't shy away from eating whatever is available; my guess on that would be it might help prepare them for digesting larger pieces of food. Maybe add some probiotic/vitamin supplement to the water and see if that makes him cut back on this.

Ducklings will also tend to peck at anything that is small and resembles a speck or a bug, so that might be why also...he is following his instinct for hunting bugs.

 

[Duckles]

I agree with duckluck, my ducklings peck/eat anything on the ground that's darker than the floor. Even thier poop. But if I put something more interesting on the floor like peas, that steals thier attention.

 

[bibkel]

peas? Mine are only 5 days old max and I wonder if peas would be too large. fresh peas or frozen, or frozen thawed?

My baby Lightning wants to dabble...she dabbles EVERYTHING from my hair my lips nose eyes and even midair!

She seems to be hungry all the time. She will eat her gooey mash off my finger, but it is so funny to watch, she will see it, then shake her head and then grab a bite, shake her head again, splattering it everywhere....and then take another bite. I can put her in her "box" and she will continue to eat and drink, then panic that I am not there.....then she sleeps. Rinse and repeat. LOL

 

[Duckles]

I just thaw frozen peas and squash them so the skins are off, I know some people don't recommend peas at 5 days old though...

 

[bibkel]

fab...I know these will float, so that is perfect. I found some dried veggies but the carrots are heavy and very big, and sink even when I cut them up....I have been fine chopping lettuce and herbs and they love it. The oldest one (11 days) dives under and scoots around.....so flippin cute! I made a video, I will get it on u-tube and then try to figure out how to post a link.....

Peas, on the shopping list......LOL