Ways to make my drake eat?

[Miss Lydia]

Oyster shell is a form of calcium for laying birds so don’t give it to your drake maybe the other poster meant grit. If they stay on your property some then you could worm them you’d need to get Safe Guard from TSC or a feed store @casportpony can give you doses. If your only wanting to worm your drake you could but a paste.

 

[Skye'sDucks]

Oh, okay. I know not to give my drake oyster shell, so I was a bit confused, but I wasn't sure if it was a typo or not.

I still don't know if I'd like to worm him or not...I've thought about it, but I don't know much about parasites/worms...It wouldn't hurt to buy him something though, right...? Or wrong?
Because the drake is one of my friendliest ducks and so I could definitely catch him to administer something.

I was also going to ask--what kind of wormer would you suggest? Is it Safe Guard but in paste form, or is that not a thing? I'd have to check the two feed stores nearby if I do end up getting him something, since the closest TSC is pretty far away.

In the meanwhile I'll do some more research on the topic.

 

[Helloworld]

Most animals, even us humans, use the male for protection. I believe there is a reason for God’s plan so I try and leave it be

 

[CayugaJana]

What about lifting up some rocks and picking out some worms for him several days in a row and see how he acts? If he starts acting like he is feeling better, then you know he isn’t getting enough nutrition through foraging. Do they eat treats out of your hands? If I want only one duck out of a group to have something, I fold my hand in half and only open it big enough for one bill to fit. Then I offer it to the specific duck I want.

You may have to go worm digging everyday until you have more freedom with your ducks.

 

[Helloworld]

musc

Oyster shell is a form of calcium for laying birds so don’t give it to your drake maybe the other poster meant grit. If they stay on your property some then you could worm them you’d need to get Safe Guard from TSC or a feed store @casportpony can give you doses. If your only wanting to worm your drake you could but a paste.

No I meant oyster shell. Stronger wing bones, larger pieces to grind corn.
Muscovies perch high in trees in the wild at night like guineas. Cutting their wings risk owl attacks in N. Florida.

 

[guardianoftheflock]

So a quick backstory is that a few weeks ago, we stopped feeding our ducks grain (purina scratch grains) and started to let them free range all day. Please know we weren't going to abandon them--if they weren't finding enough food on their own, we were obviously going to buy them more grain. (As is the case here) So far, everyone but my one drake has been finding plenty of food and has lost no weight.

I noticed my one drake started to lose weight, so we picked up another bag of grain and started feeding him two days ago. The first day he attacked it with vigor and at it all with his mate, and yesterday he was eating just fine.

Today, when I put out their bowl, he began to eat but his mate was just eating way too much of it so I separated them. He then walked over to the gate where she stood and hasn't really touched his food since. I tried putting it in water, the way he likes to eat it, and even offered it again when the hen was there, but he only ate a little and then lost interest and walked away.

I syringe-fed him some critical care, and then tried feeding him about an hour or so later. I even added mealworms to his bowl, but he didn't even touch the food, even though he came in readily enough without the hen there. (We've been feeding him in a separate yard so he can actually eat by himself)

Is there a way to make my drake eat? Is he just having a fluke today, and might go back to his grain later or tomorrow?

He's acting normal otherwise--he's at least drinking and I've seen him preening and walking around. Since yesterday evening, though, I've noticed he's moving a little slower than usual and he doesn't run over to me or move toward the gate like he usually does when I go out there. He is a one-year old Muscovy.

Try feeding him later. He might be full. And like some others said, he probably doesn't want to eat alone. If he's free-ranging then I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think that he would starve himself... besides, who want a feast when it's 90 degrees? If he still refuses to eat after tomorrow, then you could start to worry, but honestly I think he's just fine. I had a drake that ate little bits at a time. He was also pretty sweet on his girl and didn't like to separated from her. You might have a love-sick duck on your hands. It's always much better eating with a friend.Personally, I would eat alone if somebody was stealing my meal but I'm not a duck sooooo I guess I wouldn't know. I hope he starts eating for ya! Let us know!!!

 

[Skye'sDucks]

What about lifting up some rocks and picking out some worms for him several days in a row and see how he acts? If he starts acting like he is feeling better, then you know he isn’t getting enough nutrition through foraging. Do they eat treats out of your hands? If I want only one duck out of a group to have something, I fold my hand in half and only open it big enough for one bill to fit. Then I offer it to the specific duck I want.

You may have to go worm digging everyday until you have more freedom with your ducks.

I'll actually let him and his mate into our yard and go around lifting pots or planters and let them eat the bugs found under them. He's perked up a lot and is acting more like normal; don't know what that one slow day was about. He and the hen ate just about all the grain today.

And yes, they'll eat treats out of my hand.

Try feeding him later. He might be full. And like some others said, he probably doesn't want to eat alone. If he's free-ranging then I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think that he would starve himself... besides, who want a feast when it's 90 degrees? If he still refuses to eat after tomorrow, then you could start to worry, but honestly I think he's just fine. I had a drake that ate little bits at a time. He was also pretty sweet on his girl and didn't like to separated from her. You might have a love-sick duck on your hands. It's always much better eating with a friend.Personally, I would eat alone if somebody was stealing my meal but I'm not a duck sooooo I guess I wouldn't know. I hope he starts eating for ya! Let us know!!!

My drake and hen are adorable to watch--they go everywhere with each other. He was having a slow day yesterday, but today he's back to normal, running to the gate and eating up the grain I put out. Thank you. I feel like I'm being a worry-wort making a whole thread for him, but I've always worried over my pets and I like to be proactive.

I put out two bowls for them with both a pan and bowl of water, (my drake likes to dunk his food in water) and today I didn't worry about it much and let them eat from each other's bowls or what not, and it worked fine. Hopefully he got enough--my hen is as little pig and inhales her food so fast.

 

[Helloworld]

I think We are all just fussing over him and he tired of being messed with. Lol
Muscovys are great foragers. If you don’t have it, they will go find it. And yep, like I said all about his mate.