New duck

[Farmer jr]

Ok so I went to a friend's and got a duck and a barred rock I'm new to ducks and don't know what to feed him and what to do with him any suggestions

 

[sylviethecochin]

Chop ain't gonna work. Ground oats + ground corn is rarely more than 11% protein, lacks many of the vitamins and minerals a duck needs, and is mostly intended for huge ruminants that can actually get nutrition out of fibrous husks. Ducks are omnivores, not herbivores. My free-range ducks eat snails, mosquito and dragonfly larvae, newts, tadpoles, small frogs, and any other small animals they can catch. Corn and oats simply do not have all the nutrition that they need, though you could keep them alive on it for a while.

 

[Farmer jr]

The duck is full grown and so is the chicken the duck is a kaki kamble and I let him out today and he flew off

 

[Farmer jr]

Yes I think he was trying to go back to where I got him if I get him back should I put him in my rabbit hut or fence in a spot for him

 

[Miss Lydia]

I'd keep him where he can't fly away. Then once he learns where home is and it's safe to do you might want to consider clipping a wing to keep him grounded. Now whether he can find his way back home maybe a problem they are like homing pigeons so he may be lost. Unless your friend lives very close. He probably was disoriented and not having his flock caused him to fly off.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Have you checked with your friend if the duck is back?

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Enticing with food sounds good. I’ve also used a kayak and a large fishing net (like a tough butterfly net) to herd my ducks in a pond. I would expect that would work to catch your duck...

 

[sylviethecochin]

Ducks, like chickens, need a maintenance feed of at least 15% protein. You can feed chicken feed, allflock or chick starter. A laying female will do fine on layer feed. I prefer to feed mine pellets, as they tend to try and choke themselves on mash, and have nearly as much trouble with crumbles. You'll probably have to supplement B-vitamins, as most chicken feed doesn't have enough (especially niacin) for them. Just buy vitamin B-complex (powder, liquid, or pills) and add it to his feed occasionally. Some people use brewer's yeast, but that's rather expensive, comparatively.

 

[sourland]

If the 'duck' is a drake, get him a girlfriend or he may cause serious problems with your chicken hens.

 

[Farmer jr]

It was the domanite male of four and a hen I will get him a girlfriend