I have three Saxony ducklings that hatched Saturday June 2nd. Since that time I've been feeding them Dumor Starter/Grower 20% protein and after about a week of watching them grow I'm starting to think that maybe they are growing too fast.
Here's why:
- They look about 25% bigger than when they were born (only about a week old).
- In just the last few days I've started taking them on a once a day walk to our pond which is about 250 ft away from their brooder and walking at a slow human pace gets the two chunkier ones winded. They will just plop down if I pause as if they've been on a mile run. Granted they are only a week old and they have to run to keep up with my slow pace but the skinnier one of the three doesn't appear to have trouble.
- They eat A LOT, noticeably more than my chicks and their brooder isn't big so it's not like they burn much of it off. They also don't poop nearly as much as they are consuming so I'm pretty sure most of it is going towards putting on more weight
- Lastly, their feet are PEELING. They aren't swollen, cracked, or irritated but they are peeling. The smallest of the three has peeling feet but not as much as the chunkier two. I thought maybe it was similar to babies getting cradle cap where they are growing so much their skin peels.
Just last night I switched their feed to Dumor Grower/Finisher 15% protein and I've also thought about rationing their food as opposed to letting them eat as much as they want whenever they want but I'd like some suggestions/opinions from the experts. I'm just concerned that they will get joint problems if they continue to grow as they are.
Other things they've been getting:
- I'll mix a little sprinkle of Avia Charge 2000 in with a little food that has been moistened as a daily supplement.
- I'll chop up a little romaine lettuce for them as a daily treat.
Here's why:
- They look about 25% bigger than when they were born (only about a week old).
- In just the last few days I've started taking them on a once a day walk to our pond which is about 250 ft away from their brooder and walking at a slow human pace gets the two chunkier ones winded. They will just plop down if I pause as if they've been on a mile run. Granted they are only a week old and they have to run to keep up with my slow pace but the skinnier one of the three doesn't appear to have trouble.
- They eat A LOT, noticeably more than my chicks and their brooder isn't big so it's not like they burn much of it off. They also don't poop nearly as much as they are consuming so I'm pretty sure most of it is going towards putting on more weight
- Lastly, their feet are PEELING. They aren't swollen, cracked, or irritated but they are peeling. The smallest of the three has peeling feet but not as much as the chunkier two. I thought maybe it was similar to babies getting cradle cap where they are growing so much their skin peels.
Just last night I switched their feed to Dumor Grower/Finisher 15% protein and I've also thought about rationing their food as opposed to letting them eat as much as they want whenever they want but I'd like some suggestions/opinions from the experts. I'm just concerned that they will get joint problems if they continue to grow as they are.
Other things they've been getting:
- I'll mix a little sprinkle of Avia Charge 2000 in with a little food that has been moistened as a daily supplement.
- I'll chop up a little romaine lettuce for them as a daily treat.
