what do you feed your ducks? how much of it?

[allgoaton]

I am expecting four ducklings in a few weeks. I have some questions about food. I am wondering exactly what brands of commercial food you use and if anyone could give me an estimate of how much we will go through.

I am planning on starting with a 20% protein chick starter, but am not sure how long to use that and if it can be switched straight to a layer feed from there or if there should be a period in between of a different type. Brand suggestions would be very helpful.

I also am wondering where people buy Brewer’s yeast. I can only find it in tablet form, which must not be what is meant by that. So ducks need this forever, or just in the duckling stage?

I'm also curious about when to offer grit and eggshells.

 

[AmandaVirus]

For the first 8 weeks they need 24/7 access to food. The amount of time they are on the starter feed depends, I've heard some say up to 6-8 weeks, and some only 2 weeks, I fed it until mine were two weeks, because that's how long it took my three to get through a ten pound bag. After the starter I fed grower feed, you don't want to feed them layer until you see the first egg. I started out using Nutrena but hated it, it smelled funky and was very powdery. I now use Farmers Best (only available on the West Coast). I don't think brand matters a whole lot. Especially since brands depend on your location.

How much feed they go through depends on how much forage they get, my three can't get much forage, so they go through about 1.5 pounds a day. That's the first time I've weighed it, and it sounds like a lot!

You can find brewers yeast at natural food stores, or you could buy plain (not no-flush or timed release) niacin capsules. I gave mine it until they were about 5 weeks old. It doesn't hurt to give it to them every month or so after adulthood. But since mine get lots of bug/worms (Which is where they get niacin I believe) I don't really bother.

 

[KuroKitsune]

places online sell brewers yeast and niacin tablets(if you get tablets get the plain niacin not the no flush kind you want100-150mg into a gallon of water) and a 20% starter is fine and you can give it to them till they begin to lay and the feed them 16% layer like you would to chickens.

the extra niacin if just needed the first 10 weeks after that you can stop.


if your ducklings are only eating the chick starter they dont need grit but if you offering other things to them you should offer some grit.

eggshell is calcium so they wouldn't need it till they were laying eggs

 

[Richb353]

Purina Layena Crumbles for about 3 weeks, pellets after that. Nothing with chicken medication.

 

[Carcajou]

I am expecting four ducklings in a few weeks. I have some questions about food. I am wondering exactly what brands of commercial food you use and if anyone could give me an estimate of how much we will go through.

I am planning on starting with a 20% protein chick starter, but am not sure how long to use that and if it can be switched straight to a layer feed from there or if there should be a period in between of a different type. Brand suggestions would be very helpful.

I also am wondering where people buy Brewer’s yeast. I can only find it in tablet form, which must not be what is meant by that. So ducks need this forever, or just in the duckling stage?

I'm also curious about when to offer grit and eggshells.

You can feed Purina FlockRaiser from day one and forever. Start with crumbles. I would suggest not using pure Layena for ducklings as it will have too much calcium in it and not enough protein. Too much calcium can cause kidney issues with non-laying female ducks and males. I mix some layer feed in with the flockraiser and/or put out oyster shell for the taking once they are laying.

 

[KuroKitsune]

the layena will good for when their laying but as duckling who arent anywhere near laying yet dont handle the extra calcium in layer very well...unless you saying when you switch to layer to do crumbles for 3 weeks then switch to layer pellets

 

[allgoaton]

This was all very helpful! According to Tractor Supply (not where the ducks are coming from, but where I'll be getting my supplies), it is recommended to do starter pellets for 10 weeks, switch to grower feed, and then layer feed.

How do you use the niacin tablets, if gotten in tablet form? Dissolve in their water? I got my chicks through McMurray farms, and they are coming with something they call "QUIK CHIK" which also is to be dissolved in their water, but doesn't seem to contain niacin/B3. I'd rather have something that is mixed with food.

 

[allgoaton]

You can feed Purina FlockRaiser from day one and forever. Start with crumbles. I would suggest not using pure Layena for ducklings as it will have too much calcium in it and not enough protein. Too much calcium can cause kidney issues with non-laying female ducks and males. I mix some layer feed in with the flockraiser and/or put out oyster shell for the taking once they are laying.

Thanks for the band! That one looks pretty good! Do you think there is any difference in doing something like this -- same formula pellets until laying age or forever, as compared to doing three phases of food types?

 

[KuroKitsune]

no i dont think there'd be any difference either way you went i keep mine just on flockraiser/all flock from the get go and just add free choice oyster for my girls that are laying and they've done great and its simple then having to switch between three feeds and with feeding flockraiser i can just add my young girls to my older ones after introducing them and not having to worry about the excess calcium thats in the layer as flockraiser just has a little and the oyster shell is in a seperate feeder and the young girls wont mess with it since their bodies dont need it.

 

[Carcajou]

no i dont think there'd be any difference either way you went i keep mine just on flockraiser/all flock from the get go and just add free choice oyster for my girls that are laying and they've done great and its simple then having to switch between three feeds and with feeding flockraiser i can just add my young girls to my older ones after introducing them and not having to worry about the excess calcium thats in the layer as flockraiser just has a little and the oyster shell is in a seperate feeder and the young girls wont mess with it since their bodies dont need it.

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