Should I be adding water to my ducklings food?

[HatchingDucklings123]

Please help me! I have been feeding my duckling starter chick feed and some websites say I should be wetting it in order to stop them from choking on the food. Should I be wetting his feed? He is about three weeks old now.

 

[Canadian Wind]

You don't need to if he has access to water, but I personally wet all of my ducks' food, adults and ducklings. I like to ensure they are getting enough water and prevent them gorging on the dry and having it expand their crops too much once they do drink.

That may be silly of me, but I find it works well, and they do seem to prefer it that way.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Not at three weeks I wet mine for first week only. But you need to be feeding duck food if you can find it and not chicken food. Purina makes good duck pellets.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Also, it would help to know where you are. Canadian Wind lives in a cool climate so wet food is good. I live subtropical which wet food can sour in just a few hours and food poisoninghappens.

 

[raingarden]

If you give it to them dry then after a few minutes they will walk from the feed bowl over to the water to wash it down. Then back and forth from feed to water. It's OK because they don't really have anything else to do today.

Ducks have a magic trick where they clap/vigrate their bill to create a water current through their bill and filter out food particles. This allows them to filter stuff out of the mud on their feeding grounds. So, when you mix their dry crumble feed with water they can consume it much faster and without walking back and forth from the feed bowl to the water.

I have free ranging ducks that mingle with the chickens, guineas and other yard birds. The ducks will be chased away from the feed because they are somewhat less aggressive. Putting their feed in water lets them use their magic trick to eat faster and get their fair share.

If given the opportunity, chickens will pick feed out of shallow water too, but they hate it because it makes them eat very slowly.

 

[Gezellige_Poes]

Please help me! I have been feeding my duckling starter chick feed and some websites say I should be wetting it in order to stop them from choking on the food. Should I be wetting his feed? He is about three weeks old now.

I wet the feed for my chickens and quail (Coturnix and button), and they all love it. I give this in compliment with dry feed, so they can choose, water is always fresh and close by. I had baby buttons hatch at the end of June and offered them watered down starter feed for several weeks. They loved it. And cucumber slices as well - huge favorite! I use the wet feedings as an opporunity to add other healthy ingredients, like eggs, egg shells crushed, Terramin clay, oregano, dehydrated meal worms or black soldier fly, natural deworming powder, food grade diatomaceous earth,... You can create many tasty mixtures.

 

[RebinNH]

Wondering about the DE. Do others add that as well. I have heard differing opinion on it's use.
H, they do seem to really like fermented feed as well. Pretty easy to make.

 

[Rostabunny]

We mix 30% oats, 70% chicken feed, and then add 2 teaspoons of pure niacin powder to a container. then we just scoop out their daily amount out of the container, and add water until it is an oatmeal consistency. just make sure you have the niacin with the ducklings.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I've raised my ducks using chick feed with added niacin. I've never experienced a problem with gagging, but I know it happens sometimes. You can wet their feed if you prefer, but I don't think it's necessary, unless you find your duckies do have issues. Mini pellets are good, too, if you can find them. Just make sure they ALWAYS have water when food is available to them.

And - tbh - wet feed is too messy when they're brooding. I brood in my house. That stuff gets flung everywhere - lol! It gets stinky! And it's hard to clean once it's dried.

Wondering about the DE. Do others add that as well. I have heard differing opinion on it's use.

I don't use DE. Never needed it, and the newer research shows that the cons may outweigh the pros. Why are you using it? Just curious.

 

[RebinNH]

I am not using DE. Someone else said they add it to a mix. Wondered why.
As far as adding water to feed, I find that they get all the fines that way. Ie. less wasted food.