At this point, you can replace the existing feed to regular chicken layer feed or even waterfowl layer feed, if available. They are getting themselves ready to lay their first eggs. Adult Stage (21 weeks+) Michel Rathwell from Cornwall, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsĪt this stage, your ducks have grown up and are reaching maturity. Make sure you have fresh water available always. They tend to soften their food with water by going back and forth and then can swallow. Water is an essential commodity for ducks. If your ducks have sand and dirt around them, you can start to give them “treats” along with their regular feed. You will have to continue the niacin supplement of your ducklings with brewer’s yeast until they reach 20 weeks, along with plenty of freshwaters. This deformity prevents them from flying. This is because immoderate protein consumption can provoke a wing deformity called Angel Wing. This should be just 20% of their entire meal. However, if you cannot find it, you can mix the chick starter feed with rolled oats and dilute the feed. You can give them non-medicated “chick grower feed,” which contains 16-18% protein. During this stage, you will need to control their protein intake. Will you be able to imagine human babies growing up that fast?īut at this stage, duckling’s slowdown in growth. For instance, a mallard duckling weighs 35 grams at birth, and just after one week, it weighs 100 grams, and by the end of the second week, they weigh 250 grams. When we say ducklings grow fast, we mean it. Keeping water with food is a mandate for them.Īlso Read: 10 Duck Friendly Plants for A Homesteader’s Garden Young Adults’ Stage (3-20 weeks) anita dilrukshi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Ducks are bad at having dry food and can often choke themselves. You can add 1.5 tablespoons to every cup of chick starter.Īlong with all these, there must be fresh drinking water available always. If their diet does not contain an adequate amount of niacin, it can lead to ducklings’ death.īrewer’s yeast powder is a quick source of niacin. Without this, ducks can grow up to have crooked legs and distorted joints. Niacin is necessary for the building of strong legs and joints. Niacin or B3 is another essential component that needs to be incorporated into a duckling’s diet. You will have to look for a high protein chicken starter with at least 20-22% protein for the initial two weeks. As ducklings grow, they need a high protein in their diet. As ducklings can eat a lot, giving them the non-medicated version of the starter feed is ideal. Often chick starters contain medicines to prevent coccidiosis, commonly found in chickens but not in ducks. So, an alternate option is to feed your ducklings with a “chick starter.” Adult duck feed is scarce, but it’s even more challenging to find starting duck feed. They grow way faster than chicks and hence need more proteins and nutrients. These two weeks are very crucial for the ducklings. There are different nutritional requirements at every stage of a ducks’ life. Regardless of all the facts, the most essential and necessary need of any duck is a well-nourished, balanced diet. Each duck breed comes in different shapes, sizes, and colors. Ducks have quite a greater lifespan if not butchered early, unlike most other poultry. The early duckling stage is from 0-2 weeks, the young adult stage is between 3-20 weeks, and the adult stage is from 21 weeks and above. But in case of food shortage, what should be our alternative feed? Multiple questions have risen as it matters to the life of the bird.īefore getting into the particulars, let us take a look at the lifecycle of ducks. Most ducks are used to eating chicken layer feed. It’s always important to remember that whatever spread you prepare for ducks should be nutrient-rich, so they grow healthy and petite. Most stores keep mixed flock feed, but are they good enough for waterfowls? If not, you will have to store some in abundance and plan accordingly. You may also check with a pet store in your area if they have feed for ducks. Your ducks will need commercial feed alongside the natural organic feed in the growing weeks. What to feed the ducks so that they can grow to be healthy and content? Well, in this article, we are about to discuss everything that you should provide and not feed your ducks. But before you decide to bring them home, you have to look into their most important need, i.e., food. Ducks are relatively low maintenance pets.
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