Underweight pekin

[Kmoreau]

I have had my little girl vet checked, and he said everything seems great but she may be a little underweight. She is now 4 months old, and weighs about 4 pounds, also going through her first molt. My drake is six months old and weighs 8. He is double her size. I know that males are suppose to be bigger but he is huge compared to her. She eats all the time, and when I put out food he is so kind, he let's her go first and patiently waits. So I know she is getting enough food, plus they free range all day. She just seems so small, I have been putting corn in with their feed, and she gets a good bit of that leaving none left for the drake haha. I am just concerned, does 4 pounds sound right?

 

[The Red Rooster]

I had a underweight call duck. He would eat lots of food, but would stay the same size. I'm not sure about that. Sorry I can't help. I did have the same problem. I have a female duck thats tiny compared to my drake.

 

[ChickInDelight]

I don't think corn is the right food for weight gain. It does hold in heat. Check the feed posts. Someone posted something about corn recently.

 

[DB_Tex]

I don't think by itself it's enough to bulk up your hen, but you might want to think about adding a little flax seed to her food for the omega 3s. I got a large box of milled flax seed at Wal-Mart for a couple bucks and add it in to my duck food and they look gorgeous. It'll even enrich her eggs.

 

[Kmoreau]

I am feeding purina feed as well as the corn and free ranging plus I give them veggies and fruit and worms and feeder fish all the time so I think she is getting plenty of food. I am just asking does it sound underweight for my Pekin female to only weigh 4 pounds at 4 months old?

 

[ZoeS95423]

Yes, it does, I think. My pekins have been fully grown since before 4 months.

 

[DB_Tex]

Where did you get her? Breeder? hatchery? feed store?

 

[Kmoreau]

Feed store, they got her from ideal. I know she is healthy, she was
At the vet less then 2 weeks ago, he did the full
Check up ( ie blood stool ect) she has been slowly putting on weight, as she ages, just not as fast ast
Drake did. Everywhere I read they should already be full grown so I guess she is just going to he smaller. She does feel skinny, I mean there is definitely fat and meat on her it's not like I feel bone.

 

[Oregon Blues]

I suspect that your "Pekin" isn't a Pekin, but some other breed of white duck. Several breeds of duck and several cross breeds come in white.

My smallest Pekin are 7 pounds at seven weeks of age, many are even heavier.

For growth you need protein. That is what builds muscle. You can add a bit of cracked corn to a duck's diet, and it will add fat to the duck.

Ducks need to have a bit of body fat, it keep themselves waterproof and warm, but a lot of body fat isn't good for them

 

[DB_Tex]

Quote:
This is why I asked.
4 lbs is just right for a medium sized white duck that is eating well, and like Oregon, I'm thinking she's not Pekin. Feed stores often buy "hatchery choice specials" which include whatever the hatchery puts together in a bargain straight run assortment. Pekin are the most commonly hatched ducks from any hatchery, however she could very likely be from a white crested clutch but didn't have a crest, or a color breed that didn't hatch the color they were after and into the bargain bin she went.

Try protein, but dont add any more fat. She likely has enough and obesity will hurt her egg laying.

Edit:Looking at what Ideal offers, I'm thinking you've got a magpie that hatched out white.