Rescue duck advice

[Kate_]

Do you know the protein percentage on the chick starter? If it is higher than the duck food, it may be a better choice.

I've just looked and Chick grower is 16% and the duck food was 16.5% so not higher but it does seem to like the chick food better so is worth the sacrifice since its eating this one and make up the rest of the protein with another source?

 

[Kate_]

Also try to make a mash out of the feed by adding water to it. My ducks all prefer it this way and it's easier to eat.

I would still order that other food you mentioned.

Thank you, I will order it then! and I've tried mash, blended and whole, I've tried soaking it in water and also in a shallow bowl with both food and water as that's how it loves produce but it'll drink the water and a couple seeds in the mix of it then waddle off.
I do wonder if maybe I've spoiled it too much and gave it too many options.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Thank you, I will order it then! and I've tried mash, blended and whole, I've tried soaking it in water and also in a shallow bowl with both food and water as that's how it loves produce but it'll drink the water and a couple seeds in the mix of it then waddle off.
I do wonder if maybe I've spoiled it too much and gave it too many options.

Seeds? It's not pellets or crumble? I would stay away from that for a baby, or provide grit as it won't be able to digest it / break it down in the crop.

The duckling food I feed is actually 22% protein and regular duck pellets are 18%.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

I looked up the feed and it is not nutritionally adequate for even adult ducks. On their website this is a direct copy and paste of their ingredients along with the nutritional analysis:
“
Ingredients: Barley, whole oats, sorghum, kibbled maize, high protein pellets (soya bean meal, peas, broll, vegetable oil).
Typical analysis: Protein: 11.4%, fat: 3.4%, fibre: 6.7%, calcium: 0.59%, reactive lys mg/100mg: 0.54%”

I would not even feed this to my adult ducks. The protein alone is not even close to being adequate and there is nowhere near enough niacin for a duckling or an adult duck. Not to mention the lack of other nutrients. The only thing that feed would be good for is if it was being used as an occasional treat.
https://shop.topflite.co.nz/products/lucky-duck-duck-food?variant=8661164818484

 

[Kate_]

I would like to thank you all for the advice, it's amazing how different from chickens these little guys are!

It does seem to be a bit more active and explorative today already

I looked up the feed and it is not nutritionally adequate for even adult ducks. On their website this is a direct copy and paste of their ingredients along with the nutritional analysis:
“
Ingredients: Barley, whole oats, sorghum, kibbled maize, high protein pellets (soya bean meal, peas, broll, vegetable oil).
Typical analysis: Protein: 11.4%, fat: 3.4%, fibre: 6.7%, calcium: 0.59%, reactive lys mg/100mg: 0.54%”

I would not even feed this to my adult ducks. The protein alone is not even close to being adequate and there is nowhere near enough niacin for a duckling or an adult duck. Not to mention the lack of other nutrients. The only thing that feed would be good for is if it was being used as an occasional treat.
https://shop.topflite.co.nz/products/lucky-duck-duck-food?variant=8661164818484

Hmm, the ingredients are right but the Analysis is different on the bag

 

[Kate_]

Seeds? It's not pellets or crumble? I would stay away from that for a baby, or provide grit as it won't be able to digest it / break it down in the crop.

The duckling food I feed is actually 22% protein and regular duck pellets are 18%.

Yeah it's a seedy mix oats/barley/maize and what not - have switched to the crumble with mixed in nutritional yeast but I'm starting to think the protein is nowhere near what it needs based off other comments
I have been giving grit with food plus an additional bowl of it

 

[Kate_]

I have ordered Weston Game Bird Crumble which has 21.8% protein although they recommend not feeding it from 5 weeks old, would I continue to do so and just watch out for Angel wing forming?

 

[Canadian Wind]

I have ordered Weston Game Bird Crumble which has 21.8% protein although they recommend not feeding it from 5 weeks old, would I continue to do so and just watch out for Angel wing forming?

There is no proof that protein causes angelwing, and I have personally never had a case of it in my ducklings and fed them the 22% feed for WAY past 5 weeks (probably closer to 5+ months!). As a matter of fact, I feed it through the winter to ALL the ducks to help with the bitter cold we get here.

 

[Kate_]

There is no proof that protein causes angelwing, and I have personally never had a case of it in my ducklings and fed them the 22% feed for WAY past 5 weeks (probably closer to 5+ months!). As a matter of fact, I feed it through the winter to ALL the ducks to help with the bitter cold we get here.

That's actually good to know! It's made out to be a big ordeal on Google so was very worried about it but that's reassuring! Unsure what it'll decide to do when it starts flying but will continue to feed the 21% when I get it, thank you so much for the advice

 

[Sondraa]

How is your little rescue duck doing?