Winter duck feeding

[fitz cee]

My girls aren't eating much now that the big snow storm covered all the green grass here in northern NJ. What can I give them to keep them fed & happy?

 

[deedles]

I posted a similar question about this topic. My ducks walk around like they are 'looking' for something in particular to eat. Do you notice that yours are eating less of their regular feed now that it's cold? It seems that mine are which I'd think they'd be eating warm trying to fuel body heat.

I hope someone that knows something can answer this.

 

[Miss Lydia]

My girls aren't eating much now that the big snow storm covered all the green grass here in northern NJ. What can I give them to keep them fed & happy?

Besides their reg feed. mine love chopped kale, chopped romaine, lettuce thawed peas, and cabbage.

I posted a similar question about this topic. My ducks walk around like they are 'looking' for something in particular to eat. Do you notice that yours are eating less of their regular feed now that it's cold? It seems that mine are which I'd think they'd be eating warm trying to fuel body heat.

I hope someone that knows something can answer this.

Mine eat FF too and there is nothing here to eat from the earth so they also get dried meal worms as a snack in the afternoon makes up for lack of bugs, worms etc.

 

[cayugaducklady]

I'm in New England and my ducks are in the same boat as yours.

I feed them kale for greens or romaine for a special treat. They also get other leftovers we generate: collard green bits, asparagus stems we cant eat, bok choy ends, broccoli stems, etc.

For the dabblign greens feed in the morning. If you offer at night they'll probably freeze before they can eat therm all.

I also feed them a "mash" of beets/ carrots/potatoes almost every day. Cans are OK (low salt) or cook yourself.

They also get free choice grit & oyseter shells & balanced layer ration.

A few times a week I also add corn, peas or green beans. Canned or frozen is ok for peas. Beans should eb cooked- so canned or cook yourself.

When we have extra cooked rice or whole grains like oatmeal/quinoa I'll add that in, too.

On the coldest days/ nastiest weather days I give them a bit of cracked corn.. a few tablespoons. and a can or catfood/dogfood.

I havent had much luck getting them to eat hay. I'e tried pellets soaked in water & cubes soaked in water. I've tried actual hay from a dealer and I've tried alfalfa hay from a dealer.

For the fresh hay, they'll go through it with their bills but they don't really eat any of it.

I've had success buying produce at wholesale for them and using grocery sales.

My girls have laid every day EXCEPT the day of the big blizzard this weekend. No off tastes in the eggs and the yellows are really orange.

 

[fitz cee]

Thank you for the advice. I will get their veggie diet going! Amazing that yours are still laying! Bravo.

 

[deedles]

yes, those are all great ideas. Oatmeal is on the menu this morning, I'll make a little extra for the ducks.

 

[Miss Lydia]

yes, those are all great ideas. Oatmeal is on the menu this morning, I'll make a little extra for the ducks.

Let us know if your ducks will eat it. Mine will eat oatmeal in ff but only my chickens will eat cooked oatmeal.

 

[cayugaducklady]

My girls started right before Christmas thanks to the weird 60 degrees we had. I'm happy they're laying but I was not prepared for it and I really didn't want the anxiety of learning about laying and ;earning about thriving in winter weather as a new duck keeper .

 

[LeannS]

My 6 ducks have been in lock down for 2 reasons. The snow on the ground with cold temp`s. and I had no out side area fixed up for them that was secure enough. Finally the snow is mostly gone and above 40 degrees day time. When I started to bring a few leaves of kale, they acted disappoint`d when I came empty handed.
They wanted GREEN food. I bought a nice fine stemmed ALFALFA bale. Tied it up to a post in their lock down coop. They eat on that then.
We got the 10 X 16 square ft out door pen done yesterday for their 2 water tubs, Took a flake of alfalfa
hay for the corner to pacify them.
I used mash tarps on top and rubber mat`s on part of the gravel. I filled the tubs with warm water and they
could smell that water. They came out on their own today. Yesterday I had to make them go out to that new
area. My only draw back is that later I had to go in there for one egg.laying on the gravel.
The positive is I can sit on the porch and watch them have their pool party.

 

[Carcajou]

• fitz cee, Welcome to BYC!!

I feed my regular feed plus some whole corn mixed in in the winter and make sure they are never without food during the daylight hours. I feed lettuce year round. I make sure they don't go hungry in winter as they need the extra food for energy to stay warm, especially with some of the winds we get here. All the veggies listed above are good. Haven't tried the oatmeal thing yet, sounds interesting. Let us know how your ducks like it.