Our ducks are now trained fly killers!!!!!

[BigLar368]

We have 4 Welsh harlequins all female. They came with 16 other chickens we ordered and received on June 8th this year. So now as we speak we have 20 chickens and just the 4 ducks. We like to go out and feed them some kind of treat of left overs every day. Flies have been a small problem but I put up a trap and it died down for a couple of weeks.

Couple of days ago I seen one duck chasing something in the yard. Her head was down way low and as she ran her head would strike....like a snake. I soon learned she was catching flies. Now they all do it. If their afternoon treat is not watermelon, peas, or meal worms they just hunt flies when we throw whatever food down in the afternoons. We have seen them do it for an hour or more. And yes we keep them fed well and often. I buy 20 pound sacks of rice which is very cheap here....around 8 bucks a sack. I cook three pounds at a time with a quart of some scratch grains and feed them a big portion every morning. Usually last ab out a week. They also free range all day in the back yard. Needless to say I have not see a lizard, frog, or any other kind of insect other than flies in the past few weeks.

 

[sourland]

They will do the same thing with mosquitoes and the floating mosquito egg cases.

 

[Chicalina]

I'm sure others will chip in here too, but rice, scratch grains and fruit/mealworm treats won't give your ducks all the vitamins and minerals they need. Even with flies, I can't see they are getting enough protein either. That is a carb heavy diet that is low on vitamins.

Ducks need extra niacin plus a balance of other nutrients and macros. Please consider giving them a proper waterfowl feed or at least chicken feed with supplements.

What do you feed your chickens?

 

[Duck mommy 2019]

rice isn’t good for them, it’s a treat.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Ducks are the best natural pest control! What are the scratch grains you feed? I know rice is cheap but its not the best food for them. Sorry hope we don't sound judgey that's not our intention (we've all trialed and errored with feeding)

 

[Callender Girl]

I WISH my runner ducks would and kill flies!! Mine just want to break into the chicken coops and steal layer feed instead of eating their own all-flock.

 

[BigLar368]

I'm sure others will chip in here too, but rice, scratch grains and fruit/mealworm treats won't give your ducks all the vitamins and minerals they need. Even with flies, I can't see they are getting enough protein either. That is a carb heavy diet that is low on vitamins.

Ducks need extra niacin plus a balance of other nutrients and macros. Please consider giving them a proper waterfowl feed or at least chicken feed with supplements.

What do you feed your chickens?

They have two, five gallon buckets of Purina flock raiser at their disposal. They stay full and can eat much as they want. I give the scratch grains and rice as a treat. Trust me....they eat very well. They are fat and happy. They have recently been trying to fly around the yard but unless they jump off something they don't go far.

 

[Chicalina]

They have two, five gallon buckets of Purina flock raiser at their disposal. They stay full and can eat much as they want. I give the scratch grains and rice as a treat. Trust me....they eat very well. They are fat and happy. They have recently been trying to fly around the yard but unless they jump off something they don't go far.

I'm sorry if you think I'm criticising.

If you feed all that rice and scratch then it is replacing the good stuff they should eat in the form of flock raiser. I'm glad you've got that for them too. But, imagine letting your kids eat a load of white bread just before their dinner. They won't want their dinner! And they've filled their stomachs with refined starches with little nutritional value.

If they get fat and cannot fly, it is because they are being mostly fed with high calorie/low value carbs!

I would urge you to ditch the rice. Feed scratch occasionally not every day. Keep the flock raiser as their staple food and give fruit/veg, free ranging for insects as a nice addition but not the main. And look into niacin rich foods or a supplement.

 

[Chicalina]

I found this excellent article on niacin if you are interested https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/niacin-deficiency-in-waterfowl.1367557/

 

[BigLar368]

The flock raiser has above the recommended amount of niacin. I called purina and asked. They get one quart of rice and scratch once a day. Keep in mind that's shared between 24 birds so it's not that much.

Please also understand that is I'll never take anything personal especially from someone posting on a forum I will probably never meet. I appreciate the concern and feel you are being genuine and trying to help. I promise I won't get my one and only feeling hurt.....lol.