What To Feed Baby Ducks - All the Essentials You Need to Know!
If you have been thinking of getting ducklings or expecting your first hatched ducklings soon, you may be wondering what their feed and nutrition requirements are.
And I am glad you are researching this! Because duckling feed and nutrition may be the most crucial thing to grow into healthy adult ducks in their young days.
This will ensure they have a long, quality life and provide better quality eggs.
Here are my top tips on what to feed baby ducks from the day ducklings hatch to the remainder of their adult lives. And also some other helpful duckling feeding tips!
Contents:
What to Feed baby ducks
Ducklings grow extremely fast, and all that rapid growth requires proper nutrition.
For ducklings, you will want to start them off on a balanced diet of unmedicated chick ration supplemented with extras such as niacin, protein, and calcium for optimal health.
Duckling Feed Requirements
Ducklings require much food for healthy growth and need to be fed around five equally spaced feedings throughout the day. As they get older, you can reduce it to two times per day.
An adult duck will eat about 225 g of feed per day, and you can split it into 40% in the morning and 60% in the evening.
Here’s what to feed ducklings and ducks according to their age:
Rations for young ducklings
Starter
During the first two weeks of life, starter unmedicated chick feed is the best, as it is softer and more easily digestible.
Ducklings need more protein than adult ducks, especially in the first 2 weeks of their lives. A protein content of 22% is ideal, and after the first 2 weeks, you can reduce it to 17–18%.
Salt generally makes droppings more watery, and ducklings, up to 3 weeks, are very sensitive to salt. So be careful of salt added to rations.
Rations for growing ducks
Grower
For weeks 3–12, you can switch to a grower feed with a 16 - 18% protein level. From this stage, you can switch to a crumble type of feed.
Rations for adult ducks
Non-layers and layers
From week 12, your ducklings can be put on a pellet maintenance feed with 14–15% protein. With lower protein, your ducks will produce fewer eggs. Much of the "waterfowl" feed in the stores will be in this protein range.
If you want your ducks to lay eggs, they will need 16–18% protein for the duration of their egg-laying life. It should also contain enough calcium, or you would need to supplement the feed with oyster shells.
Be careful not to give your ducks too much protein!
If you start noticing their wings falling down and their inability to move properly ( a condition called Angel Wing), immediately give them a lower protein food. Or mix in uncooked oats to balance the protein and allow them to free-range more.
my whole flock enjoying a meal together
can ducklings eat chick starter?
Ducklings should only be fed non-medicated chick starter feed. Since ducks eat a lot, they can overdose on Amprolium and other medications used in medicated chick feed.
Amprolium is a thiamine blocker that can lead to thiamine deficiency. Thiamine deficiency affects many systems, including the muscles, heart, nerves, and digestive system.
Many farmers and vets have stated that their ducklings had no problems when being fed a general medicated flock starter feed. But the concern lies in the fact that not enough studies have been done to test the safety for ducklings specifically.
So, yes, ducklings can eat chick starter feed, but to stay on the safe side, it should be non-medicated.
Also, ducks don’t have the same risk for coccidiosis as chicks, so medicated feed is simply unnecessary. And we choose to raise our flock as naturally as possible, limiting medications as much as possible.
Mature ducks can, however, safely eat standard or medicated chicken feed or waterfowl feed.
Niacin For Ducks
Ducklings and adult ducks need a steady supply of niacin (vitamin B3), an essential nutrient for bone development, growth, and overall health.
For ducklings, it helps especially with their development, and adult ducks need a continuous supply too.
Niacin helps their bodies produce energy, process proteins and fats, maintain clear vision, support the nervous system function, and maintain healthy skin and feathers.
If your ducks have a niacin deficiency, it can lead to deformities.
Since ducks (especially ducklings) need more niacin than chickens, you need to supplement the chicken feed with niacin.
Ducklings need about 10mg, and adult ducks about 12.5 mg per day.
This may be tricky to calculate precisely, so you could try to find a feed with added niacin. Ducklings require at least 70 mg and breeding ducks need 50 mg of niacin per kg of feed.
Niacin Sources
If you cannot find the proper feed, you could add a niacin supplement like the ones from Metzer Farms.
Or you could supplement with niacin-rich foods, which your ducks will love. These include:
Peas
Sweet potatoes
Tuna fish
Salmon
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast per cup of feed
Wheat Bran
Signs Of Niacin Deficiency in Ducks
Signs of niacin deficiency in ducks will differ according to the severity. Still, some of the most typical signs include bowed legs, enlarged hock joints, an inability to walk, weakness, and a loss of appetite. Symptoms can often appear as early as 1 week old.
If you don't treat it, your ducks will become very crippled and weak and not be able to walk anymore. They may eventually die of malnutrition, and nobody wants that!
If you catch and treat it early, your ducklings will usually recover and become healthy adult ducks. When caught in the late stages, the duckling can recover but will suffer lifelong lameness and other possible health problems.
Treats for Ducks aND dUCKLINGS
I love giving my whole flock, ducks included, the occasional treat. This keeps them happy, and Ava gets so much joy out of it!
And, of course, it is an excellent motivator if you need to lock them in somewhere ;-)
Treats should not be more than 10% of their diet to keep the weight down.
Can ducklings eat cucumber?
Oh, yes! Raw and cooked veggies such as cucumber, peas, broccoli, corn, and tomatoes are all favorites of our ducks.
Ducklings and adult ducks can eat most veggies and greens. Greens like kale, romaine lettuce, celery, and herbs are great options. Avoid giving them iceberg lettuce.
You can introduce greens to your ducklings after the first week already. Chop them up fine and let it float in their water bowl. It will also become a fun game to keep them occupied!
Can ducklings eat strawberries?
Yes ducklings can eat strawberries! They would be very happy for this treat, along with blueberries, watermelon, grapes, peaches, and pears!
Just be cautious, too much fruit can upset their stomach, so only give the occasional fruit treat.
Eggs for ducklings
It may sound weird, but ducks like scrambled eggs too! It'll give them a healthy boost of protein and other minerals. Just make sure the eggs are thoroughly cooked.
Bugs and critters
Ducks love bugs, earthworms, and mealworms. My whole flock love this SUMMER TREAT!
Bread and other grains
These should be broken into small pieces, and only be given to ducklings over 2 weeks as it can stick to their bills, causing some birds to choke. Also, make sure that grains do not get wet and moldy as it can be fatal to ducks.
Continue reading to learn what you should not feed ducklings and grown ducks!
What NOT To Feed Ducklings
There are a few things that you should not give to your ducklings and adult ducks, and even some that are toxic.
Don't give medicated chick feed - since ducks eat a lot, they can overdose on the medication in medicated chick feed.
Don't feed too much bread - This can cause an impacted crop.
No sugary, fatty, or salty foods - It will cause weight gain and other health problems.
Don't feed long pieces of grass or other plants - Ducks don't chew, and it may become a choking hazard.
Avoid mango, citrus, mango, all parts of white potatoes, and the seeds or pits from apples, cherries, peaches & apricots as these are toxic.
Don't feed them leaves of any nightshade plant, including tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, or white potatoes, as these are toxic.
You can feed them garlic, but not onions.
Don’t feed them nuts or seeds as you never know if they may experience allergic reactions and it could also be a choking hazard.
Discard any leftover feed and scraps at the end of the day.
Can You Feed Ducklings Adult Duck Food?
No, I would not advise this. Layer feed contains much too much calcium and not enough protein for those first few vital weeks. Too much calcium could be toxic to ducklings.
It will be ok if they get a mouthful or two of the adult feed, but make sure they have their designated food where no one will bother them and get the proper nutrition.
You could keep the ducklings separate for the first few weeks to prevent this and also raise adult feeders higher so the ducklings cannot reach them.
Other Essentials
Do ducklings need grit?
Ducks do not have teeth to break down their food. And if you feed your ducklings and ducks anything other than starter feed, they need grit.
Grit (coarse sand or dirt) helps them grind the food in their gizzard and digest it properly. This is especially the case when they cannot range freely. Depending on your terrain, if your ducks range freely, grit is often not needed.
You can use chick grit for ducklings and adult chicken grit for adult ducks.
If your ducklings are only eating starter feed, they do not need grit for the first 3 weeks. But if you feed them anything else, add grit.
You can add the grit to their feed or in a separate bowl.
Water requirements
Ducks drink plenty of water, and it should always be provided near the feed so they can flush their food down. Waterers should be cleaned 2-3 times per week to avoid the buildup of bacteria and diseases.
Give your ducklings small feeders and waterers until 2-3 weeks old to easily reach the food and water. When they are older, the waterers should be level with the lower neck area, and the feeders level even with the back of the average duck.
Do ducks need a pond?
Ducks do not really require a pond for swimming for optimal health. But, if you can provide a small type of pool, they will be very grateful! They are waterfowl, after all.
A small pond or big water bowl (like a kids’ swimming pool) to bathe in helps them keep clean and clear from parasites and mites and keeps their feathers healthy.
Water also activates their oil glands which are essential in helping them to swim and protecting them from rain and cold. And it allows them to cool down in hot climates.
If you cannot provide them with a bigger pond, at least provide a bowl of water where they can submerge their head into. This helps to clean their bills and keep the mucous membranes moist.
I hope you have a better idea now of what to feed baby ducks and how to ensure their nutritional needs are met!
Have a look at THIS blog post for more info on caring for ducklings.
Love, Annette xx
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