What/how do I feed ducklings in a mixed age flock?

[keeperofthehearth]

What/how do you go about feeding your Scovies when they are in a mixed age flock?
I have 3 adult ducks w/ducklings that I've just started on 16% duck feed after feeding them 20% chick-starter for two weeks & adding extra niacin to their diet.
We want to move our last duck & our drake over w/them as soon as Gwen's ducklings hatch otherwise it will be a bear to gather them up fm all over the chicken yard. Our duck feed says "good for ducklings fm 2 weeks to adult. I'm trying to avoid angel wing in the ducklings but want to be sure the new ducklings get a good healthy start.
Thanks for your help!

 

[goosedragon]

I am not sure I understand your question, 1.do you want to keep the ducklings from getting your regular feed or 2.do you want to keep the adults out of the starter feed or both? I don't have an answer to 1. or both but if you want the starter to only be available to the new ducklings 2. you can try a system called creep feeding where openings to the starter feed are too small to allow an adult or a larger duckling to get to the feed. I have used this to keep goslings out of the area where ducklings were feeding because the larger goslings would just push the ducklings aside and not allow them to feed. I used a masonite panel to wall off the duckling feeding area, raised just enough to allow the ducklings to get under it but too close to the ground for the goslings. I could raise the panel to go along with their growth.
I tried this once with mother ducks to keep them out of the feed but it didn't really work since mama duck would raise a fuss when her ducklings would feed and she would call them back to her side and march them off to the regular feeder. When MAMA ain't happy nobody is happy!

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I tried this once with mother ducks to keep them out of the feed but it didn't really work since mama duck would raise a fuss when her ducklings would feed and she would call them back to her side and march them off to the regular feeder. When MAMA ain't happy nobody is happy!

Soooo true!

So since all the mama's and babies w/be together is the 16% duck feed O.K. then for the newborns to eat? Will they be getting enough protien, etc.?​

 

[goosedragon]

Quote:
Soooo true!

So since all the mama's and babies w/be together is the 16% duck feed O.K. then for the newborns to eat? Will they be getting enough protien, etc.?

If you have already invested in the starter and not expecting any more babies this spring why not mix the starter with the regular feed (don't try to save it for next year, it will be worthless by then) I suspect your ducklings will do OK on the regular 16% feed any of the starter they get to eat will help. ducks are tough birds!

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Thanks, I really do appreciate your input.
My first year doing the duck/duckling thing and I'm still learning what I should and shouldn't do.
I may mix some 20% starter w/16% if it isn't going to do harm to the older ducklings. I have chicks running all over the place so the starter wouldn't go to waste even if I don't mix for the ducks.
Boy, those ducklings have been chowing down!

It will be nice when we can free range them and they can forage a bit more.