Sick duck, Please help

[KaziCritter]

They have constant access to water, get feed around lunch time, and are allowed to forage over about 1/2-3/4 acre during daylight hours. I guess I misread a little and missed the "with food" bit of your comment.

 

[Amiga]

I would give them food at least 12 hours a day at this point. Here may not be enough forage for them. How much do they weigh?

 

[KaziCritter]

dont have a scale that would work for them (only a small kitchen scale that they would maybe get 1 foot on), but they are a few pounds.

as for leaving feed out for 12 hours, not possible. if i did that they would do nothing but eat the feed and nap all day, going through probably 30-50lb of feed a week (for 6-7 ducks and about 10 chickens, all about 3 months old). as is, when i give them more then a single meal worth of feed they refuse to go forage. when i skimp of feed or give a slightly smaller then meal size, they all go and forage the entire day.

and about there not being enough to eat, the entire yard is full of grass and weeds that are 1-3 ft high. most of the weeds being dandelion type or broad leaf types. there are also multitudes of bugs all over. I'll show them various plants and even offer them bits or whole leaves/flowers/and such, they get gobbled down but then they dont seem to like to go and pull off bits themselves most of the time. or at least while im out watching that is.

 

[Speceider]

Forage 1-3 feet tall has too much cellose (which ducks cannot digest efficiently) to be of much nutritional benefit. Mow it so there is some young, new vegetation for them to forage on.

Clint

 

[Amiga]

I am concerned that they are not getting enough food. Whether that is directly causing the deaths, or indirectly, from a compromised immune system, that is my concern.

My ducks have food available 24/7, and are great foragers.