newbie question: how much do ducklings eat?

[doggeek15]

Hi. This is my first post here, so please be nice to me

.
We are getting 4 runner ducklings on Tuesday/Wednesday and we went to the feed store to get all the stuff we need today. I think we got everything we need and the people there are always very helpful...
The only thing I was a little confused by is food, and on the advice of the guy working there, we ended up with a fifty pound bag of Blue Seal game bird starter/grower crumbles. It seems like a fine food, but now that I think about it, fifty pounds seems excessive for four ducklings

...
So my question is how long do they stay on the starter food and how much will four ducklings eat? They seem pretty small to need fifty pounds of food... Should I keep this big bag or try to exchange it for a smaller one?
Oh, and if these four work out, we may try to get some more runners in the next few months

. If this is too much food for these four, would the food keep long enough to feed them too?
Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[mtcougar832]

They eat a LOT! I have 5 indian runners and I fill up their feeder twice a day (it holds 2 or 3 cups I think). Mine are about 5 weeks old. As soon as my fence is repaired I'll let them free-range in the yard and hopefully decrease food costs.

 

[cherub78]

LOL- I am not new to ducks, but sure enough I only bought a 20lb bag of starter even though I knew better. They are abt 4-5 weeks old now, and I have gone through that 20lb bag plus I am on my 2nd 50lb bag that I just opened 2 days ago.

I have 5 ducks, one goose, and new chicks (abt 28) and the mama of 3 chicks is also eating that feed, but seriously the chicks eat hardly anything! Most of that 120lb of feed is for the 5 ducks and goose. And my bag of feed says they stay on the starter for 10 weeks.

I think you will be fine with your 50lb purchase, and I would start getting ready to go pick up the next 50lb bag.

Sharon

 

[froggie71]

We have ducks, guineas and now chicks. The chicks don't eat nearly what the ducks do. You will definitely use up that 50lb bag. I've read that ducks will eat what ever is put out for them. And I find that to be very true. Good luck with the babies.

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

They eat like crazy I just moved my kids ducks outside and they were in MY garage stinking it up but they are so cute.
We have had them 3 weeks and the store maybe a week. They EAT EAT EAT.

 

[xke4]

They eat a lot! And produce 100 X the amount of food they eat in poo. And it stinks. Mallards more than Wood Duck. Stink.....that is.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Ducklings eat their weight every day. Iam pretty sure.

Okay that might not be true, but they eat more food than you could possibly really ever have. Its pretty constant eatage.

 

[headred]

Yep, like everyone says, they eat a lot! I have 7 ducks and at 4 to 5 weeks they went thru a 20lb bag in 2 weeks. I now buy 2-20lb bags at once. I keep it in a metal garbage can out near the pen (squirrels tried to get thru my rubbermaid containers!). If they are out in the yard they will forage for anything so that will cut down on how much feed they need. Have fun and enjoy!

 

[doggeek15]

Thanks! Everybody here is so helpful!

 

[tazzy]

yeah, we bought one 50 lb bag of duck feed when we got our four ducklings (two pekin, two mallards) six weeks ago. I just finished off the end of the bag this morning.

so yes, they eat a lot, and you will go through that bag in no time, even with just four ducklings!