i have 2 duck hens..they are getting chicken layer feed..because i am concerned that they need calcium because they are laying..and NO game bird food has laying feed.....so what do i do? also..i am getting ducklings soon...what baby food would you recommend? thanks
I feed mine layer pellets and they lay eggs all the time !! I feed ducklings egame bird crumbles or layer crumbles . I think game bird may be a little high in protien though . Some one correct me if im wrong
i cant find a food that is just for ducks anywhere! do they even make it!?..and why not?! if they dont!
Look what i found http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...02|16201|49185?listingPage=true&Special=false
I feed my cayuga's (3) and magpies (2, one is crested) Duck & Goose pellets that I order from a feed store and have to have flown in.
Quote:Hi, i have never seen feed for just ducks and geese around here... .all i have ever seen is game bird starter/feed and turkey starter...and chicken feed..nothing just for ducks! it frustrates me! because i want to feed them correctly! also...what do you do for the hens calcium for laying? i'm confused!
The following information was shared with me from Nettie on the feeding of ducklings, I don't think she will mind if I post it for you. (WEEK 1 to at least 8 you should have food and water available all the time (but the water shoud be shallow so they can not play/drown in it). You can construct a special watering device out of a juice bottle to keep them from playing in the water, I'll add a pic at the end to show you. They eat a lot when they are growing their feathers. .After that, you can feed them at certain intervals or have feed availale all the time, my runners eat 2-3 times a day in the morning, sometimes once in the early afternoon if their hungry, and then at night an hour or two before bedtime, I don't give them any food during the night. Water is okay, but mine don't need it) WEEK 1: Just Starter feed no scratch, mixed with some water to soften it. WEEK 2: (Same as week one, but less water) WEEK 3: Add a tiny bit of scratch to your feed. No need to soften it any more WEEK 4: Start adding in Layer feed to the starter feed (maybe a 1:4 Ratio at first) with a little bit more scratch (maybe 1:8 ratio of scratch to both feeds together) WEEK 5: 1:2 Layer feed to Starter feed. A little more scratch than last week, 1:4 ratio. WEEK 6: 1:1 layer feed to starter feed. 1:3 Scratch WEEK 7: (Your duck should almost be fully feathered by this week or next) 2:1 layer feed to starter feed. 1:2 scratch WEEK 8: 3:1 Layer to starter. 1:1 Scratch WEEK 9: (this is when they can/will start to molt, they do this through the 12 week) 4:1 Layer to starter, 1:1 Scratch. WEEK 10: Layer feed Only, no more starter feed. 1:1 Scratch. Incorporate a few new exciting treats for your duckies, like vegatables/fruits (avoid giving them extra protein at this time. Too much protein in a growing feathering duck can cause Angel wing. This is when the quills of the feathers grow faster and bigger than the muscles and tendons of the wing can hold causing the wings grow at 90 degree angles out from the body and is very hard to fix.) WEEK 11: Same as week 10 (But add more new treats) WEEK 12: Same as week 11 WEEK 13: (By now your duck should be fully feathered and done with their first molt) Layer feed only (just to be safe throw away the starter feed, your adult ducks can not eat it any more due to the protein levels and the feed will most likely go bad before you raise ducklings again). 1:2 Scratch to Feed, and many more vegatables/fruits/ and now small amounts of new proteins WEEK 20 and on: Continue feed rations in Week 13. (By now your ducks will be 5 months old and may start laying if the weather is nice. If it is cold or winter, they may wait until the spring) Buy OYSTER SHELL from your local feed store and add it to their food. This helps them to produce good eggs, hard enough shells, and avoid egg binding (which can be a very serious problem). Here are some feeds I reccomend: Mazuri Waterfowl feed: (i think this may be the only feed special to waterfowl, it's expensive but it's the absolute best) https://www.mazuri.com/Home.asp?Products=2&Opening=2 I'm using Purina FlockRaiser Sunfresh Recipe this time around: (I hear it's good for chickens and ducks, mixed flock multi purpose!) http://poultry.purinamills.com/OURPRODU fault.aspx The first time i raised ducklings i used Nutrena, both the starter feed and my ducks currently eat their layer feed: http://www.nutrenaworld.com/Screens/Speciality/Chick_Starter_Grower.aspx Here is a HUGE list of other oods you can give your duckies: Diet Supplements: Romaine Lettuce (other dark lettuces, not iceberg) Tomatoes Worms Nigh Crawlers Cucumber Cracked Corn Eggplant Peas Bell peppers Carrots Eggs (scrambled or hardboiled chopped with shells on) Beans (overcooked) Feeder goldfish/minows/guppies Plain yogurt Mealworms Broccoli Cabbage Brussel sprouts Cauliflower Beets Asparagus Special Treats: Floating Koi Food (they love this stuff in their bath or pond, good protein) Cottage cheese Apples (applesauce) Bananas (no peel) Marigolds, pansies, clover (from a florist or homegrown, no pesticides!) Pears Peaches Cherries Grapes Melons (cantaloupe, watermelon) Squash Pumpkin Pomegranate Turnips (cooked) Raisins Zucchini Oatmeal (cooked) Strawberries rice (cooked, small amount) These Treats are No-Nos!!!! Bread Crackers Spinach Onions Potatoes Avocados Seeds of any kind Chocolate Sugar Junk food of any kind Nuts Citrus (lemons, grapefruit, oranges, limes) Popcorn
Waterfowl feed is hard to find. Not many people are willing to invest the time and effort into ducks or geese like they will chicks and chickens. Ducklings do well on Purina sunfresh chick starter as long as it is not medicated or a gamebird starter crumble for about 4 - 6 weeks. They need to be supplemented with fresh greens chopped well and floated on water. Brewers yeast should be added to their feed as they need more niacin than chicks. As they reach 4 - 6 weeks old you can switch them over to Purina Flock Raiser but continue giving them the brewers yeast supplement. They do need fresh greens and greatly benefit from animal proteins - bugs, insects, worms, frogs, fish etc. When they are ducklings they benefit from yogurt the same as new chicks. If you decide to get goslings this spring remember they are herbivores (non-meat eaters). You can start them out the same. Around 8 weeks once green grass is plentiful you don't have to give them alot of feed if they graze and forage. There are a lot of people that feed ducks layer feed early on (around 10 weeks) they don't need layer feed. Ducks won't lay eggs early like chickens and you really shouldn't give them the layer feed. The Purina Flock Raiser and the Blue Seal Gamebird crumble is formulated to help meat the needs of Ducks, Geese, Turleys and Chickens. If you can't get fresh grass right now for them lettuce, spinach and alfalfa sprouts are good choices to keep them healthy.
