Need ideas to restrict a glutton duck

[Little Brown Coop]

IMHO, a three-month-old duck of any breed is still a teenager. Restricting their diet is basically child abuse, that is, you are restricting their ability to be the best duck they can be. Basically, you are putting baby LeBron James on a diet so that he will be just average, not a champion.

Sorry to be so blunt, but all ducks grow A LOT during their first six months, and continue to develop during the next year. IF YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO FEED A DUCK PROPERLY DURING THEIR GROWTH PERIOD, PLEASE DO NOT ADOPT A DUCK!!!
(Or a chicken, or a dog, or a child.)

Pekin ducks were bred to grow particularly fast.
A severe waddle indicates a possible niacin deficiency, not necessarily a weight problem, which would be exacerbated by reducing food intake.

BTW I didn't know who LeBron James was (cause I really could care less about celebs and sports) until I looked it up and I gotta say he looks tall but not necessarily fat. A sumo wrestler would be a better comparable, and just because they may be good at what they do that doesn't make them healthy. Or be destined for a long and active life.

 

[TomCahalan]

Have you actually weighed the bigger duck? I suspect that he is just normal size.

Your ducks should have access to food at all times. By making food scarce, you are starving one duck and may be causing the other to overeat. Leave the food out and your bigger duck will get bored of it.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I would suggest weighing both ducks before you make any food rationing decisions and go from there. That way you know for sure if there are any weight problems and how severe any problems are as going off of the breast bone can still be a hit or miss for many people. A lot of people think that their ducks are fat and when they take them to the vet they find out their ducks are actually underweight (I grew up around a family with a couple vets and vet techs so I've hear it all). If you weigh them and find that there is a weight issue with one being over and the other under then I would make a small fenced panel for feeding times with the food dishes at least 1 ft. Away from the fence that way they can see eachother, but everyone still gets enough food.

 

[KaleIAm]

I would suggest weighing both ducks before you make any food rationing decisions and go from there. That way you know for sure if there are any weight problems and how severe any problems are as going off of the breast bone can still be a hit or miss for many people. A lot of people think that their ducks are fat and when they take them to the vet they find out their ducks are actually underweight (I grew up around a family with a couple vets and vet techs so I've hear it all). If you weigh them and find that there is a weight issue with one being over and the other under then I would make a small fenced panel for feeding times with the food dishes at least 1 ft. Away from the fence that way they can see eachother, but everyone still gets enough food.

I'm one of those people. I thought my pekin was overweight, I considered restricting her food. She was slower and waddled more than the other ducks. I took her to the vet and found out she was thin and had health issues. They told me that feeling the keel bone and breast on either side was the only accurate way to assess healthy weight on a bird.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I'm one of those people. I thought my pekin was overweight, I considered restricting her food. She was slower and waddled more than the other ducks. I took her to the vet and found out she was thin and had health issues. They told me that feeling the keel bone and breast on either side was the only accurate way to assess healthy weight on a bird.

Yep and even then if someone hasn't examined other ducks prior, finding and assessing a ducks weight by feeling for the keel bone could prove difficult.

 

[KaleIAm]

Yep and even then if someone hasn't examined other ducks prior, finding and assessing a ducks weight by feeling for the keel bone could prove difficult.

I agree.