Question: Alternative Duckling Diets

[purplepillbug73]

I am new to the backyard homesteading business and I have 6 ducklings arriving in a couple of days. I was wondering if I could just feed them the snails and various bugs I find in my garden, along with lettuce and other veggies and grains. I wanted to feed them something closer to what their natural diet would be, but I can't seem to find any suggestions for an alternative to starter feed. Does anyone know what the proper "mix" of veggies, bugs and grains would be? Or do I really need the duck starter?

 

[Wifezilla]

While I do think emulating their natural diet would be ideal, it is a bit of a radical concept apparently and proper information is lacking. What I did was use the starter and provide as many greens and bugs and forage I could so they would eat LESS of the feed.

Seems to be working so far. Until I research more and get a better idea of how to recreate an evolutionary duck diet, I think that is a good compromise.

 

[CorralitosSunflower]

It is an awesome idea, and if you had/have the time I think it could work, but wow what an undertaking, on top of the daily cleaning they require! Ducklings need a constant source of food and water available to them, and they eat a LOT! I am not sure how many ducklings you want or have. I clean out my garden and around my home everyday looking for bugs and slugs for my four babies (they also get lots of veggies) and it is getting harder and harder to find the bugs, boy my garden is happy, but less for my ducklings. I have no where near enough to keep my four babies satisfied. The protein is the main staple of their diets so you would have to be feeding them a ton of bugs a day. I know you could buy mealworms, feeder fish, crickets etc. if you don't mind spending a fortune. If you have a steady, immense supply of varied bugs, slugs, veggies and grains for them than I think you could do it. I would always have a started crumble available to them in case you or they run out of the other stuff though

Good luck!

 

[geosheets]

I have a big dusk-to-dawn yard light over top of my duck pen... it wasn't planned that way, the light just happened to be where I wanted my pen. Every bug for acres comes to my light after dark and my ducks spend half the night feasting. They barely touch their food although it is available for them also.

 

[rainplace]

This thread in flock management is geared more towards chickens, but it's full of information and pretty pretty pictures to boot.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1733029

 

[purplepillbug73]

Thank you guys so much for your input. I did go ahead and buy some chicken starter. I don't think I'll have a really big problem with natural proteins considering the local infestation of snails and pillbugs was one of the reasons I got the ducks. I also have an abundance of red worms in my compost bin. The ducklings just got here today and they are really chowing down. I gave them some lettuce in their water dish to go with the chicken starter. Later I think I'll go look for some snail eggs. I think they'll really go for those.