wheat for ducks

[duckynewbie]

Hi, I'm a first time duck mom. I've been reading a lot today about housing the ducks with our chickens once they're older. I read that feeding them wheat along with the pellets is good for them. Where do I buy the wheat? I don't see it at the feed store. TIA

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Hi!

That's weird - at our feed store, they have wheat. However, plenty of duck owners give their ducks other food, and their ducks seem to be doing fine. Here's a threat about what people feed their ducks: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/500841/what-do-you-feed-your-ducks

 

[duckynewbie]

Thanks for the reply. What I read is that housing chickens and ducks together you can feed them all layer pellets but to also give the ducks wheat. The layer pellets have too much calcium for the ducks so they basically need wheat to balance it out. This only being the case if they're not being free ranged. Make sense?

 

[Henrik Petersson]

Yup, it makes sense. Do you think it might work with some other type of grains, like barley or oat?

I'm a newb here too, my limited knowledge comes from a few months of googling around after a renewed burst of duck interest.

So I can't really answer your question. But I guess oat would work as a substitute for wheat, simply because it seems to work well for chickens. Now, I don't know how differently chickens and ducks process food, but from my googling it seems to generally be not that big a difference.

 

[Kroelies]

Maybe feed normal chicken food and give the chickens extra calcium through another source? Like oyster shells.

 

[Miss Lydia]

I use wheat in my fermented feed I buy at the grocery store since I want to make sure it isn't treated with chemicals. I use layer and Broiler and wheat and oats and split peas and lentils and flax seeds as my base for the fermented feed I make.

 

[duckynewbie]

Thanks. I'll have to look at the grocery store. I asked at Central Tractor yesterday, but they don't carry it. I don't need it yet, but like to be prepared.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Thanks. I'll have to look at the grocery store. I asked at Central Tractor yesterday, but they don't carry it. I don't need it yet, but like to be prepared.

In our store they have bulk bins that is where I found it if you have a whole foods or natural food store it may even be cheaper or a co op close by. I'd call around here where I am we're very limited to what we have available I was just happy to find it at the gro store.

 

[duckynewbie]

In our store they have bulk bins that is where I found it if you have a whole foods or natural food store it may even be cheaper or a co op close by.  I'd call around here where I am we're very limited to what we have available I was just happy to find it at the gro store.

I see you live in NC, me too. What grocery store do you buy it at?

 

[Miss Lydia]

I see you live in NC, me too. What grocery store do you buy it at?

Ingles it's the only one besides Save Mor which is owned by Ingles too. lol but they don't have bulk bins at Save Mor. I'm going to begin looking on line to see if I can find bulk cheaper and free shipping I'll let you know if i come up with anything.