Nettie, I do agree that domestic ducks will need more energy than a wild duck for egg production ( as someone else pointed out earlier..excellent point btw), but I am still not convinced it needs to be in the form of grains and starches. This is especially true if the ducks are free ranging during the day, are getting kitchen scraps in the form of lettuce, kale, and other greens, are getting worms and freeze dried bugs along with access to high protein alfalfa. I still need to do the math on the macronutrient content of these foods and will do that before I commit to anything.
I have already ruled out geese because of the size of my property.
As for grains ducks can find in the wild, that is limited and seasonal. Those grains are also never subjected to the vitamin destroying heat and high pressure of extruded commercial feeds since they are completely unprocessed. WIld ducks do not get grains every day with every feeding. The may very well need SOME additional carbohydrates, but I remain extremely skeptical that this needs to be the BASIS of their diet.
I have had birds before...tropical birds in fact. Not the same, I know, but I am not a total stranger to winged creatures. I have also done a lot of research in to the diet of different zoo animals. Are you aware that there has been a surge in heart disease cases in gorillas? They are also suffering from obesity and type 2 diabetes at an alarming rate. This is often blamed on a lack of exercise, but wild gorillas do not range far within a day so the difference is negligible, especially when compared to the newer high tech enclosures. What is a big difference is the food. Zoo gorillas are fed primate biscuits and fruit. The ingredients for primate biscuits is so similar to breakfast cereal is is scary. Wild gorillas do not eat a lot of high carbohydrate food in the wild. They eat shoots and leaves primarily and fruit only seasonally. The basis of their diet is greens high in cellulose content (which is why gorillas have such long intestines...to help them extract nutrients from their high cellulose food). They also eat a lot more insects, which are high in protein and, more importantly, fat. When zoos feed these creatures easily digestible carbohydrates like wheat, oats and soy, they get fat, get heart disease and die. One of the most common mistakes in feeding primates is a lack of fat. That is why, for a long time, many species did not reproduce in captivity. Their fat and protein requirements were way underestimated. Once this problem was corrected (usually by adding insects) the animals began successfully breeding.
In the examples I have given in this in my previous posts, we have different species, different natural diet, all having the same problems when feed a high carbohydrate diet based on grains and starches. Is it any wonder I suspect the recommendations of manufacturers that make the primate biscuits, the breakfast cereal and the bird feed that contain all those unhealthy carbohydrates?
When I do get my ducks (and I am planning on starting with adults), it will be very easy for me to judge if my feeding plan is successful or not. Just like the chicken owners, I will be able to see if they are laying eggs or not. I will also be able to judge their health by the condition of any eggs they lay. If there are any problems, it will only take me 15 minutes to go to the store and switch them to a traditional duck diet.
