Still confused about feeding ducks pellets…

[anonymous99]

If you can keep they separated 24/7 then that approach is fine. I keep a drake pen so my drakes are separated and I don't have any issues. As for feed, everyone both hens and drakes in my flock get Mazuri Waterfowl Maintenance and then oyster shells are offered on the side. A cheaper alternative which I think is still fabulous feed is Kalmbach's maintenance/all flock feed.

Would i still need to put nutrional yeast in the duck pellets?

 

[fatty and friends]

So all flock feed for both drakes and hens? And oyster shell for hens? Is it okay to get the purina bag of it? I think that that’s the only kind my tractor supply has

all flock isn’t specifically for ducks, a duck specific feed is best (mazuri, mannapro, and purina all have them) and will keep your ducks happy and healthy their entire lives

What if i have no plans to rehome any ducks? I recently built a new coop for them, which is much bigger and they’re able to walk around it and i was thinking that i could put a divider or something in the middle and put the hens on the other side of it.

that’s great! i recommended rehoming because that’s what most people do unfortunately. i think it’s great you aren’t buying ducks just to rehome them like most people do. personally i have 3 drakes and 2 hens, who are separated and do great. my oldest are actually turning 3 in a few months! from september until april they are all able to be together (when i’m there to supervise) with 0 fighting or mating issues

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Would i still need to put nutrional yeast in the duck pellets?

That really depends on your ducks. Pekins require extra niacin compared to other breeds so some people continue to add nutritional yeast to all feed regardless of brand. Mazuri Waterfowl is the best of the best option for ducks especially Pekins, but even then I have heard of Pekins sometimes needing a little more niacin even with Mazuri. As for the Kalmbach it is 45mg niacin per lb so you would need to add a form of niacin for pekins. Before I made the switch to Mazuri, I think I tried just about every other feed out there and my ducks absolutely thrived on Kalmbach compared to the other big name feeds. If you don't want to supplement niacin and can afford to I would recommend Mazuri and then always keep a bottle of B complex on hand. I don't even own pekins and I still keep a bottle of Durvet B complex in my first aid kit.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

So all flock feed for both drakes and hens? And oyster shell for hens? Is it okay to get the purina bag of it? I think that that’s the only kind my tractor supply has

Yes that's a good feed. All flock means for the whole flock.
Oyster shell in a separate container on the side. Tractor supply generally will have what you need.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Would i still need to put nutrional yeast in the duck pellets?

You really only need the additional nutritional yeast while growing or if issues occur. Generally all flock feeds will have the minimum amount needed for a duck.

 

[Crazy Maizie]

all flock isn’t specifically for ducks, a duck specific feed is best (mazuri, mannapro, and purina all have them) and will keep your ducks happy and healthy their entire lives

that’s great! i recommended rehoming because that’s what most people do unfortunately. i think it’s great you aren’t buying ducks just to rehome them like most people do. personally i have 3 drakes and 2 hens, who are separated and do great. my oldest are actually turning 3 in a few months! from september until april they are all able to be together (when i’m there to supervise) with 0 fighting or mating issues

All flock works for most that have mixed poultry including ducks. I've had no issues feeding an all flock feed to any of my poultry. I will add that I don't have pekins and so that may be different. But, I do have muscovy and they are a meat bird (except I'm not raising them to eat). I added nutritional yeast at the very beginning until they were their adult size. I sometimes get it as a supplement, but other than that I've used different brands of all flock and the ducks do fine on it. Currently I am using the kalmbach brand because that's what my mill carries.
But, it is what works for my flock and everyone's flock and personal needs are different.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I have ducks and chickens, and I have them on both Scratch & Peck feed (recently reformulated for ducks, too) and duckling crumble with oyster on the side. I have had zero issues (other than bumblefoot that is the result of problematic substrate, not the food).

That said, if I had an all duck flock, I'd go with a duck specific feed and have oyster available on the side.

I'm very glad you're keeping your drakes!!! I see so many that are up for rehoming. I may have a separate all drake flock someday once I get a new perimeter fence put up. I like that idea a lot! I could rescue those unwanted boys I see advertised all over.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

I feed my flock of big ducks (2 Perkins, Buff Duck, and a Cayuga) Southern States Floating Waterfowl feed. It's like dog kibble almost, but it's formulated for waterfowl. My big ducks LOVE it. My little bantam ducks eat Purina Duck Pellets. I was hoping everyone would be able to eat the same feed, but the pieces of floating Waterfowl feed are too large for my littles and the bigs just prefer the larger size ~probably because they've been eating that for years now. I keep grit available to all, at all times. I have oyster shell available at all times for the laying girls. As ducklings, all of my ducks have been on Purina All Flock Crumbles for the first few months. I like to sprinkle nutritional yeast on their feed for the first 10-12 weeks. Feel free to share pictures of your ducks. We love ducks!

 

[anonymous99]

Yes that's a good feed. All flock means for the whole flock.
Oyster shell in a separate container on the side. Tractor supply generally will have what you need.

Do the hens need oyster shells every day, or just when they’re laying? How much protein do they and the drakes need? How much oyster shells do I give? And also, do the oyster shells go in the duck feed? Do they need oyster shells as soon as they lay their first egg or when they turn 21 weeks old?

 

[Crazy Maizie]

Do the hens need oyster shells every day, or just when they’re laying? How much protein do they and the drakes need? How much oyster shells do I give? And also, do the oyster shells go in the duck feed? Do they need oyster shells as soon as they lay their first egg or when they turn 21 weeks old?

As for the oyster shell, I put a container that hangs in the run. I fill it up and leave it. I don't worry about it, just keep an eye on it to know when to refill. It should be available at all times. Don't add it to the feed. Sometimes I sprinkle some on the ground but that is mostly for the chickens. I would start putting it out at around 4 or 5 months when they would start to lay.
Protein is something that you will find people tend to disagree about - disagree a lot. My feed contains 20% protein. My birds do well. I'm not concerned with protein because when they free range they eat whatever their little hearts desire.
I have no issues with 20%. But, I don't have pekins either. So, it might be different since you do. Pekins aren't known for their foraging capabilities.
One thing to realize is that you aren't going to get everything right at the beginning. You will tweak things to work for you and your flock.