Do ducks need special food?? I have two babies and I want to start them right. They are Swedish ????, one blue, one black, we think a boy and a girl. They were hatched with Bantams and have been eating chicken food, and they appear healthy, filled out nicely and look better than their Bantam crate mates. If you might have ducks and know of anything that might be helpful, please advise. TIA!!!
Duck food??
I have fed all my baby ducks form day one with a good chick starter..Has wprked for me over 30 years..As soon as they are large enough I start adding Chops(finely chopped corn with it)..
Larkie
This message was edited Sep 19, 2006 6:57 PM
How big is 'large enough to start'?? Mine are getting chops tonight because I found myself outta chicken starter, or any other feed. I hammered the corn, just in case. Also, could they eat oats, the favorite food of all my chicks...thank you so much, Larkie, for your post!!!
Sherry,
I'm sure some oats would be fine..I just start adding the chopped corn when I think they are big enough to swallow it..I usually start with day old babies.You can tell if they are able to pick it up well enough and swallow it..
Larkie
Mind you don't give them the usual medicated feed that chickens get.
You know, I've never given my chickens medicated food, they are free range, except we have a fence and a large part of their diet is table food leftovers. What is the medicated food for, I did not know about it until I was told by the breeder not to give it to the ducks. Thanks!!
I can't remember all the things the medicine is for, but I don't do preventative meds, so it wasn't an option for us, either. Love those ducks...
I give my ducklings and goslings duck starter and grower as needed.
By the time they are full grown they can go on chicken layer feed.
Chick feed is lacking in niacin which waterfowl need or they can develop leg problems.
I use Purina brand.
Ask you feed dealer if he can get special order waterfowl feed.
Mine does for me.
Some people use gamebird feed for waterfowl.
If you can train them to eat whole oats that is a good addition to their diet but young stock should always have free choice grower or starter in front of them at all times. Don't feed cracked corn or scratch grains.
Maybe a little during the cold months but only give as a treat as too much corn is not good for waterfowl. It is too low in protein and may cause fertility problems in adults.
Lots of fresh water, sunshine and access to grass is vital.
A good book to read is "Storeys Guide to Raising Ducks" by Dave Holderread.
Pictured: 2006 Muscovy youngsters
beautiful babies!
thanks for the duck food info. we are getting a pair of b/w muscovies in two weeks! they will be two months old, and the guy said just to give them chicken feed, i will reconsider his suggestion now... and get the book, of course...
tf
btw, always read the label on your chick starter. they usually put amprolium in it as a preventative for cocciodosis, which i avoid. it prevents death in young birds, but the immunity wears off when they are adults. i prefer mine to develop a natural immunity. and some have probiotics of antibiotics of all sorts. just all about growing fast without losing sick birds, and then selling when still young...
Sometimes you can get "broiler starter" which is for meat breed chicks and it typically doesn't have any medication in it.
If your young stock has access to green grass that will help with the lack of niacin in chick feed.
good, they will have pletny of grass. can they eat grass clippings? our grass got over a foot high, we just mowed it, and it is complettely dry, we have piles of it left even after bedding down the chicken yard...
Gebo's is the only place around where i can get chick starter without medication... everyone else swares you need it.
If your grass clipping are for sure not moldy they could eat it but I have always heard to not feed it.
they are just scartching around in the grass clippings. yes they were dry, . problem no wis they always scartch it into a big pile IN FRONT OF THE COOP DOOR!
I would only give them clippings they eat up right away because they could get moldy.
cc, MANY thanks for your duckie info. We took our youngsters, hatched in an incubator, feet never had touched ground when we brought them home, and, both ducks had been reared with chickens, as singletons, in separate crates. Were they happy to see each other, or what??!! Bless their sweet ducky hearts!! So, now that they are past 8 weeks, in fact about 3 or 4 mos, we took them to our fountain and let them swim today. What a success, they are in ducky heaven, they love where they live. Thank you sooooooo much, cc, for directing us in the right direction....
Aww how sad it is how some people raise their birds and animals but how lucky they are that you are giving those babies a good home!