what do ducks eat?

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Thank you, I'm thinking of keeping them with my chickens so will the ducks and chickens be alright if I mix the duck food and layer pellets? Or can chickens not have the duck feed?
 
I don't know about chickens at all, since I don't have any :/ But I've seen chicken places, and chickens just don't live like ducks. Honestly, I'd love chickens, but my ducks are muddy and sloppy and I really think chickens just would not like living with ducks. Plus, if a male duck (=drake) tries to mate with a chicken, you've got Trouble with a capital T. Chickens can be seriously injured by drakes.

But as far as feed goes, I will sometimes give my ducks regular chicken layer feed and all is fine with that. HTH
 
Mine are fed duck chow, oyster shell, grit ( those two in separate bowls, NOT mixed with the feed!), overage salad greens, and all the grass, weeds, insects, mice, slugs, snails, worms, and such that they can forage for themselves. They love mealworms, though they don't get them often as dried mealworms are expensive. Ducks are disease free, weatherproof, and much less trouble than chickens. I don't have chickens and never will, but I get a ton of eggs from the Muscovies and some very fine meat for the table. The duck eggs are so much tastier than chicken eggs that I won't buy chicken eggs as long as my ducks are laying.
 
Last edited:
HollyDuckFarmer said:
I don't know about chickens at all, since I don't have any :/ But I've seen chicken places, and chickens just don't live like ducks. Honestly, I'd love chickens, but my ducks are muddy and sloppy and I really think chickens just would not like living with ducks. Plus, if a male duck (=drake) tries to mate with a chicken, you've got Trouble with a capital T. Chickens can be seriously injured by drakes.

But as far as feed goes, I will sometimes give my ducks regular chicken layer feed and all is fine with that. HTH
Click to expand...

Thanks for advising me on them living together. It'll be hard work so I'll try to clean up after them every evening. Do you know any small duck breeds? Or ducks that are the same size/smaller than a bantam or welsummer? Thanks again!
 
Mashallaharabia said:
Mine are fed duck chow, oyster shell, grit  ( those two in separate bowls, NOT mixed with the feed!), overage salad greens, and all the grass, weeds, insects, mice, slugs, snails, worms, and such that they can forage for themselves. They love mealworms, though they don't get them often as dried mealworms are expensive.  Ducks are disease free, weatherproof,  and much less trouble than chickens.  I don't have chickens and never will, but I get a ton of eggs from the Muscovies and some very fine meat for the table.  The duck eggs are so much tastier than chicken eggs that I won't buy chicken eggs as long as my ducks are laying.
Click to expand...

Brilliant Thankyou! I'll screenshot your list so I know exactly what to get them. Do ducklings have normal chick crumbs or something different?
 

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