When do I start with grit?

[Stanui]

My Mallard ducklings are 2 days old. I'm wondering when I should start sprinkling grit in with their feed.

 

[Cats Critters]

You start giving them grit when you start feeding them anything ofter then their feed, like treats.

 

[xfilesnumber1fan]

Grit right now is not a must if they are only eating the chick/duck starter!

 

[goosedragon]

Don't be too generous with the grit, with ducks that young I have seen them mistake grit for feed and if you are lucky they end up with gritty poop, if unlucky they eat too much and not be able to pass it all.

 

[Stanui]

Quote:
I'm so new at this that I have to ask an obvious question: When can I start feeding them something besides starter feed?

I know these are simple questions, but I gotta find the answers somehow?

Thanks!

 

[MamacatPatch]

I'm no expert, just got three ducks that are about 5 weeks old now, 2 blue swedes and 1 mallard. We started giving them lettuce blend from those bags of greens from the store, at about 2 weeks old or so. They LOVED it! We are still feeding them 'meatbird' food from the farm store. Haven't given them any grit YET, but I would imagine we will soon enough.

Just like any animal as well as humans, fresh living foods is vital to good health! Greens, grass, bugs, fruit....even scrambled eggs. I think ducks are a lot like chickens, they'll eat most anything. But my chickens lay better eggs and more of them when they get greens, oatmeal and other REAL food every day.

 

[JStark]

Also new, but I gave greens, finely chopped, the second day, in their water bowl. They've been fine, so far. I also put a tiny bit of grit on top of their food bowl.

 

[MamacatPatch]

Yeah, I may start the grit very soon myself. We bought five ducklings at our local farm store and they appeared to be about two weeks old then. Unfortunately, two of them managed to get out and over the plastic fencing we put around the kiddie pool and got into a bucket of water we had nearby and they drowned. I was SO UPSET. So we lost the Black Swede and the Pekin we had.

Now I'm super cautious, checking everything all the time trying to make sure there is no way any harm could come to them. Hard way to learn a lesson but it's a lesson I will never forget.