![]() If the duck egg shells are feeling pitted or have a thin feel to them, consider adding a pinch of oyster shell into the daily feed ration to boost calcium intake.įree-range birds will garner enough sand and rock while foraging to typically help prevent this eggshell issue from happening. Oyster shell is a type of poultry bird grit you can purchase at an agricultural supply store. The grit helps the poultry birds to properly digest their food and calcium to their diet to help produce sturdy egg shells. In addition to free-range food and/or commercially manufactured ducks, just like chickens, also need grit in their diet on a daily basis. Feed of this type usually comes in either a mixed grain or pellet form. Maturing ducks can be fed either a breeder poultry bird feed or more commonly a layer-style poultry bird feed. The protein level in most brands of grower feed is roughly 15 percent. This type of poultry bird feed is designed for pullets – young chickens. Once ducklings have reached this milestone age they can transition to a grower style of feed. Guineas hanging out with ducks Three To 20 Weeks Of Age I use non-medicated chick starter and add more niacin to their diet, as well as immune system-boosting herbs. In all my years of keeping ducks, I have never purchased waterfowl feed. But, as already noted, chicken non-medicated starter doesn’t have the recommended levels of niacin that is best for ducklings. Typically, starter crumble feed has a ratio of 18% to 20% protein. The crumble starter feed has an increased level of protein designed just for developing poultry birds. Using the crumble version of waterfowl or non-medicated chick starter is best for newly hatched and very young ducklings. Duck Feeding Guide By Age Hatch To Three Weeks Old This is a favorite type of feed of many of our ducks, chickens, and guinea birds.īut, our ducks that do not like this feed hate it and will leave it laying in their feeder for days and choose to only free range for their dinner until I offer up a different type of feed that is more to their liking. It is a granular feed that is softer in density than a layer or breeder feed. Poultry bird feed of this type is a mixture of traditional chicken scratch and crumble feed. Feed of this same weight and shape also comes described as a “breeder” feed. This heavier and larger type of poultry bird feed is designed for laying hens but can be consumed by both drakes and roosters. Although some keepers worry about crumble feed being a choking hazard, I‘ve never experienced any problems using this with my young or mature poultry birds. Crumble FeedĬrumble feed is softer than pellet feed yet denser than chick starter. Young poultry birds can more easily digest this type of food. Poultry Feed Types Chick StarterĬommercially manufactured feed of this type is designed to feed baby chicks, but it can also be fed to ducklings as long as the non-medicated version is used. Creating a compost pile that you start a worm colony inside. Some of the most nutrient-rich greens and vegetables that can be grown inside of a duck run to supplement their diet include zucchini, leafy greens, and broccoli. Infusing more natural offerings into their diet can still be accomplished by rotating edible landscaping into the flock housing quarters. The small lizards, tadpoles, slugs, and snails that live in and around ponds are a delicacy to ducks of both domestic and wild varieties.ĭucks that are raised entirely or almost solely in a coop and run or duck house environment will rely more on manufactured feed to garner all of their necessary nutrients. These small water sources will not offer as many protein-foraging opportunities as a true pond. In a small town or suburban backyard, a duck flock can still free-range for fresh greens and bugs in the soil and from a small decorative garden pond or plastic baby pool. The ducks in a scenario like this have free access to protein-rich bugs and fresh greens growing from the ground. Rural homesteaders most often allow their duck flocks to free-range for most of the day on and around a pond. Where and how you homestead will likely greatly impact how you not only raise but feed your duck flock, as well. ![]() Fresh vegetables and fruits are also a favorite snack, but they cannot eat everything we humans enjoy – nor should a high percentage of their diet be composed of even healthy snacks.
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