What do you feed your ducks?

[Taj_MaChicken]

I have 8 week? old ducklings. Not sure exactly how old they are. Two came from a farm (no idea what they ate, as all I saw was mud), and one came with a chicken, and chicken food. I put all of them on the chicken food, with a vitamin supplement.

I haven't been able to integrate the chicken with my big girls yet, as it isn't big enough, and we have a cockerel.

I ferment the chicken food. They get scratch and peck grower food. The ducks are on purina non-medicated starter food, but they literally just ran out.

Should I feed them what I feed the girls? They make such a mess of everything and spill half their food, it seems like... and scratch and peck isn't cheap. They are able to forage all day, and are separated from the chickens.

 

[Texag87]

Purina flock raiser solves most problems.

 

[Nathalie]

I give mine water bird start crumb, from day one until they are 6 to 8 weeks old. They also have regular (broken) chicken food at their disposal (as mama duck needs to eat too), and sometimes I see them pick up a few small bits here and there from it. After the 6-8 weeks they are released from their safety pen - to mingle with the adults - and then only get chicken food mixed in with water bird pellets. Basically the same diet as the adult ducks get. My ducks roam free in the backyard and have plenty of weeds, greens, fruit and bugs to graze on, but giving them just that little extra doesn't hurt. And its fun to see them come running towards you when you shake that bowl with grains and pellets. Even the drake - who has reached an amazing 7lb (yeah, he's a big daddy bird!) - comes running as fast as his legs can carry his weight.

 

[chickens really]

I feed a Grower finisher feed to all my Birds. It's for Chickens , Ducks, Geese and turkey..

 

[quackiemama]

I was feeding mine the flock raiser but I have recently been trying out a waterfowl feed from our local farm co-op. And oyster shells of course since I have some that are laying.

 

[katiebrock]

I feed a Grower finisher feed to all my Birds. It's for Chickens , Ducks, Geese and turkey..

What brand do you use and do you know if it is available in the US?

 

[chickens really]

What brand do you use and do you know if it is available in the US?

Mine is locally made and I don't know if anything like it is in the US?

 

[BridgetE]

Has anyone heard of Beaver Brand? I'm using Manna Pro Starter/Grower Crumbles right now with %20 protien. I'm looking for something that has lower protein content. Beaver Brand is made locally here in the NorthWest and is pretty inexpensive so I would like to get some feed back on the product.

 

[MIDuckLady]

I give mine water bird start crumb, from day one until they are 6 to 8 weeks old. They also have regular (broken) chicken food at their disposal (as mama duck needs to eat too), and sometimes I see them pick up a few small bits here and there from it. After the 6-8 weeks they are released from their safety pen - to mingle with the adults - and then only get chicken food mixed in with water bird pellets. Basically the same diet as the adult ducks get. My ducks roam free in the backyard and have plenty of weeds, greens, fruit and bugs to graze on, but giving them just that little extra doesn't hurt. And its fun to see them come running towards you when you shake that bowl with grains and pellets. Even the drake - who has reached an amazing 7lb (yeah, he's a big daddy bird!) - comes running as fast as his legs can carry his weight.

Good advice. I do the same. I just add a few mealworms when I shake up their bowl to get them running up from the pond to their secure pen/house at dusk.
Would love to see a picture of your big drake if you can post.

 

[Nathalie]

Good advice. I do the same. I just add a few mealworms when I shake up their bowl to get them running up from the pond to their secure pen/house at dusk.
Would love to see a picture of your big drake if you can post.

I was telling him that I had his treats ready.



EDIT: I noticed I made a little mistake about his weight. It should be 7 KILO instead of 7lb.