Pekin Duck Club!

[Strawberryswyrl]

My ducks really like it. I do mix oats and wheat with the feed for ducks who are 5 months and older, this reduces the protein content. Ducks on a maintenance feed should have 17% or lower protein content; Flock Raiser is 20%. This has worked out well for my ducks and they all are very healthy but not fat. I put 1/2 cup wheat and oats per 2 cups of feed.

When my two Pekings were alive I started feeding them Purine One dry dog food (chicken or beef) when they were almost two months old and after getting a taste of it they refused to eat anything else!!! I had read that that is what they are fed at duck shelters and that it has a good balance of all the vitamins and protein they need. I actually fed it to them their whole lives along with whatever they found free-ranging in the backyard (bugs, crickets and plants) and my birds stayed very, very happy and healthy. Their legs were well developed and strong, their wings developed perfectly fine, they didn't get fat but were both at a perfect weight, their feathers were beautiful and soft with the right amount of oil sheen from their gland, and my little Billie-Beak started laying eggs a week shy of five months old and laid 31 perfectly hard, well-shelled eggs in her unfortunately short lifetime before those foxes took both of my babies away

About every 5 or 6 hours I would call them for "food!" for which they would come running for, and I would dump about 1/2 cup of the dog food into a bowl of water and they would devour it in seconds! I would go ahead and give them a little more if they seemed to want some more which I would know they wanted if they stayed at their bowl and quacked at me. Lol when the male hit puberty he would attack me when I went to fill the bowl and after filling it would chase me around as thew female ate, then would proceed to either eat whatever was left or just follow her away from the bowl after she was done eating and he was done attacking me. Oftentimes I would have to pick him up and carry him to his bowl and encourage him to eat. He would look at me like he was a mean little shark and usually come at me again, then sometimes a third time, before going off across the yard with the female or proceeding to his bowl to eat. I miss those days!!!! But anyway, I really do think the dog food did them well. If anybody has a differing opinion who has had ducks longer than I did, I would gladly like to hear it. But I do not see how feeding any animal nothing but corn that is what mainly makes up poultry feed can keep ducks healthy. I think it just keeps them fat. Then I read about all the "soft shell eggs" that people complain of their ducks laying and having to give them supplements of calcium and niacin and this being an effect of a corn diet. I have two Jumbo Pekings (male and female) to arrive in a couple of weeks and I have ordered calcium powder and niacin supplements to help strengthen their legs while they are growing on the starter chick feed for their first month since Jumbo Pekings grow so big and so fast and their weight can cause them leg problems if they aren't given supplements to keep their legs strong. I will want to keep my jumbos from getting very heavy to keep them from develop any crippling issues as they get older and unless I find any good reason against doing so I am going to feed them the Purina One dry dog food because it really did seem to do good for my last two ducks.

 

[lizp]

Sorry to hear that.

Today was a sad, sad day. A fox got both of my ducks, little Billie-Beak and Raptor. I had taken them to my mom's to watch them while we went to a family event out of state and she left their pen open and a fox made off with them. I have been so upset all day. They were such happy birds and lived a good life. Rest in peace my little beakies!

Hope you're doing okay.

 

[lizp]

So sorry to hear this horrible news.

name="ajphil09" url="/t/742668/pekin-duck-club/2130#post_11957806"]My mothers dog killed my babies today, Leia is on the left they are gone. I have their baby who hatched this morning with a lot of struggle, his yoke hasn't fully absorbed so if you would send some duck prayers his way, and for Luke and Leia. We all need it. [/URL] [/quote]

 

[Strawberryswyrl]

Thanks Lizp

 

[lizp]

I'm not quite sure how to post for some reason??!! I just want to say I'm a city girl with a country guy and I love my 2 ducks!! Milo and Ralph. They are so fun and I enjoy everyday seeing them. Learning a little as I go. My ducks are happy but I am concerned about their feet a bit. They don't have bumble foot but do have possible callouses that could eventually become it. I'm trying to manage it. Any recommendations? Neosporin? HydroCortisone cream? I heard Epsom salt soaking. How do you get a ducks feet in salt for 15min at a time. Is it okay if they soak their whole body in it? I don't think she needs an antibiotic yet? What about just the vetericyn med first on feet? Please help!! Thx

 

[Bducky]

Yep, derpette has been laying 2 eggs every day this week.

 

[chicken pickin]

Yep, derpette has been laying 2 eggs every day this week.

Is it possible you have 2 ducks? Laying 2 eggs a day is not typical egg laying behavior for any type of poultry or waterfowl

 

[Strawberryswyrl]

Yep, derpette has been laying 2 eggs every day this week.

Is it possible you have 2 ducks? Laying 2 eggs a day is not typical egg laying behavior for any type of poultry or waterfowl

From your pictures it looks like you have two females. The other one must have started laying this week and must be laying with Derpette, in her nest. I couldn't imagine a duck being able to carry two of those eggs in her womb, and if once by chance, then certainly not twice or more in a row. Or, if you're saying that she's laying two in a 24-hour period, but hours and hours apart, I still don't think that is very likely, as it takes about 24 hours to complete the cycle of the yolk developing with the egg forming around the yolk and then the egg dropping to be laid. And if it's *impossible* that they are another duck's eggs, well, I guess it's a mystery to me. Then you'd want to crack them open and see if one is missing a yolk I suppose....

 

[duckcrazy]

Hey, dog food sounds like a great idea. I have 3 dogs so I think I may add some in their food. I'm beginning to think that free roaming ducks know what to eat and the bit that I supplement every day isn't something to be overly concerned about. thanks for the post.

 

[chickarooo]

I need some help, well I have 13 week old Pekins one drake one hen and when they are old enough I am putting them on my giant dame I am making them a floating duck house where they can sit on but I am thinking of locking them up in a really big rabbit run at night then letting them out in the mornings is this a good idea?