What is making my ducks fat?

[Sugraddict1973]

New duck mom of 5 Pekins and 1 Chocolate Runner (Lola, Frankie, Tandy, Rosie, Curly and Brian), which are 4 months old. They're put away in their pen each night, but have free range on our 4 acre property, which is mostly wooded. Of course, with any animal I get, they usually wind up getting fat (cats) and I have to put them on a diet..lol.

Over the past month, I've noticed my Pekin ducks, especially the females, have a belly pooch. Lola's belly is darn near touching the ground.

I give them meal worms in their pool when I let them out of their pen in the morning.
About a couple hours later, I give them fresh and frozen vegetables. Sometimes grapes, but they really prefer vegetables. I give them 4 or 5 different types each morning (about 1 cup of each kind), such as corn, peas, tomatoes, lima beans, butternut squash, black eyed peas, grapes, sweet potatoes, romain lettuce. They also have their layer feed available to them all day. Around 7pm, either my husband or I sit down on the ground and feed them more mealworms. They darn near sit in your lap as long as you've got the goodies, which is why we do it. OMG THEY'RE SO ADORABLE!!

Anyway, my husband and I disagree on what specific food is causing the weight gain. He thinks it's the vegetables I feed them every morning. I think it's too many mealworms in combination with them eating too much of the layer feed.

Opinions would be greatly appreciated

 

[slippednfell]

I am very new to ducks but it seems like yours are getting way too many treats. I treat my four once a day (in the evening) and they get about 1 cup of whatever I am treating them with to share between the four. When I give meal worms, they get about 1/2 a cup to divide between them. I would definitely cut back on the treats.

 

[quackiemama]

I agree. If I remember correctly treats are only supposed to 10% or less of their daily diet. Also keep in mind that they are also foraging since you are free ranging on your property during the day.

 

[Duck_life]

Too much treats, happened to me with my muscovies and it got harder for them to run/walk and 2 of them had hurt their legs running away from our pekins, cut down on treats please.

 

[jvls1942]

It is not one specific thing you are feeding that makes them fat. it is the whole combination of things..
just cut back on the amounts of each.
if they are not laying eggs, why the laying feed?
after all of this, I doubt that they are fat.
ducks are eating machines. food goes through them like meat through a sausage stuffer.
IDK about your ducks, but female geese have what we call a "rudder". it hangs from their belly. completely normal..

 

[Sugraddict1973]

It is not one specific thing you are feeding that makes them fat. it is the whole combination of things..
just cut back on the amounts of each.
if they are not laying eggs, why the laying feed?
after all of this, I doubt that they are fat.
ducks are eating machines. food goes through them like meat through a sausage stuffer.
IDK about your ducks, but female geese have what we call a "rudder". it hangs from their belly. completely normal..

Maybe I used the wrong name. I meant pellet food. Still learning the terminologies.

 

[chickens really]

Treats are not needed if free ranging them daily. The drop in belly is normal in Duck hens once layers. Meat birds don't require high protein because it's hard on them once they get fat. Joint issues are common. Unless you plan on eating them a lower protein feed is best. 16% protein.

 

[PaulX]

Out of your 9 veggies treats, 7 are starch or very high in sugar. Only tomatoes and lettuce can be given in large amount without fattening them. They also get plenty of worms and feed all day so those may contribute too.

That being said, pekins are supposed to be round-shaped. Maybe you could post photos?

Here is my female pekin, before she started laying.

And this was the male I had

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

The Pekin is a breed that was developed as a "meat-bird", to grow fast and be slaughtered young. Sadly that has led to an uncontrollable appetite in some of the birds. You need to observe them: Are they frequently visiting the feeder and fill up on the pellets? If yes, you need to ration their food and cannot make it available 24x7 or they will just eat themselves to death. I doubt it is the treats alone.
One of my White Layer ducks (Blanca) is some kind of a food addict. She is fine as long as she knows there is food available, but when i have to take away the feeder for some time, for example to clean out the duck house, she freaks out and comes quacking at me every five minutes. Usually when food is back, she stuffs herself so full that she cannot walk anymore, one night she slept with her head in the feeder:

How much space do they have to roam around? Although Pekin ducks don't like to walk very much, they might be motivated by the Runners to forage and burn some calories.

 

[Duckworth]

My ducks think the knotweed growing in the yard is the greatest treat ever. They watch me pull it for them and meet me at the door of their pen, quacking wildly. Every weed pulled is one less in the yard. They eat any bug, fly, spider or mouse foolish enough to enter their pen. Though they are all female, not all of my ducks lay full time, so I feed all flock or flock raiser and put the oyster shell out separately. My ducks do not get to free range because of predators. They are probably overweight. I have been giving them a bit less feed and more knot weed.