The Quack Shack

[Miss Lydia]

It's amazing what some TLC will do.

Good Morning Everyone.

 

[Supercow]

Good day everybody. With the temperatures rising and there finally being a long stretch of sunny weather I got to thinking (o-o....)

- when there's lots of rain the slugs and worms come out in force and the ducks have an all you can eat party
- OK, when the weather is not slug compatible there are still various bugs
- but the mass amount of bugs that are available / will be realistically consumed per day (one bug is much smaller than one slug / worm) is probably much smaller than with slugs/worms?

... So how do foraging ducks mostly get protein during the summer months, and can one rely on it being enough?

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

Unfortunately not. I used to have hoards of grasshoppers in the summer. The frogs had lots of babies in the pond. There was tons of clover in the spring. Ducks are voracious and none of these exist anymore.

 

[Supercow]

Okay, it turns out I can get soybeans at a good price (0.50 eur per kilo = cca. 0.25 usd per pound).

Do soybeans need to be cooked/roasted for ducks or can they eat them raw (just soaked for example) ?

 

[Canadian Wind]

Good day everybody. With the temperatures rising and there finally being a long stretch of sunny weather I got to thinking (o-o....)

- when there's lots of rain the slugs and worms come out in force and the ducks have an all you can eat party
- OK, when the weather is not slug compatible there are still various bugs
- but the mass amount of bugs that are available / will be realistically consumed per day (one bug is much smaller than one slug / worm) is probably much smaller than with slugs/worms?

... So how do foraging ducks mostly get protein during the summer months, and can one rely on it being enough?

I haven't had any issues with mine, but the lawn/grass/plantlife was non-existent by the end of the summer! And they will dig into the ground with their bills to get at stuff.

Okay, it turns out I can get soybeans at a good price (0.50 eur per kilo = cca. 0.25 usd per pound).

Do soybeans need to be cooked/roasted for ducks or can they eat them raw (just soaked for example) ?

Should be cooked, as beans are difficult to break down in their dried hard form. Either that, or break them into smaller pieces.

 

[Canadian Wind]

Salutations from the Wet North! The rain has returned! I have four babies I was going to try to introduce to a broody momma but I may just wait until tonight so they don't get soaked and chilled.

 

[Supercow]

Dogs watching Duck TV -- they are somehow getting very interested these last few days.

 

[Magnolia Ducks]

My dog has been watching goose tv. She gets very upset when the little one gets bullied. She backs at the bigger ones and they pinch her nose.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Okay, it turns out I can get soybeans at a good price (0.50 eur per kilo = cca. 0.25 usd per pound).

Do soybeans need to be cooked/roasted for ducks or can they eat them raw (just soaked for example) ?

I have no experience with feeding any beans to my ducks, but i know for sure that the pellets i feed do contain soy. With beans creating plenty of gas (at least inside me), i would thoroughly cook them before feeding to the ducks. idk...

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

My dog has been watching goose tv. She gets very upset when the little one gets bullied. She backs at the bigger ones and they pinch her nose.
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Dogs do have an instinctive sense for fairness, as many animals do have.