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Feeding Ducks Part 2 from
Starting with Ducks
- by Katie Thear
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Anyone who keeps ducks, or fancies keeping ducks
in the future, will find this book extremely useful and full of
practical advice and tips. This book covers everything you'd
ever need to know to keep your ducks fit and healthy and is great
value for money.
Part 2 of 3
Feeding Ducks
Grain
Grain such as wheat or a mixed grain ration is popular
with ducks, both domestic and ornamental breeds. It is useful to
feed it in the afternoon, particularly when placed on a clean area
of ground. Unlike pellets, the grains will not disintegrate into
a mush and are soon scooped up.
Ornamentals in larger collections are often given
their grain ration in shallow water. This helps to deter wild birds,
such as pigeons and starlings, from helping themselves. A long,
shallow and perforated trough or dish will keep the grain in one
place, in shallow water near the bank, while preventing it from
becoming submerged in mud. Alternatively, the grain can be
fed in a shallow, non-perforated trough on land, with a little fresh
water on top. Where domestic ducklings are being introduced to whole
grains for the first time, it is a good idea to soften them in water
first, until they get used to it.
As they get older, they soon get used to eating it
dry, but it is important that their drinker is always close by.
Small breeds may prefer to have kibbled (chopped) grains.
Wheat is, in many ways, the
best all-round grain for ducks. Good quality wheat is approximately 11% protein. Oats
are high in oils as well as protein and are therefore a useful winter
feed. They are not always popular on their own however, and may
need to be mixed in with wheat. In summer, the heat-producing qualities
may be too great and it is wise to reduce the amount, or not to
feed them at all, unless they are in a mixed grain ration from suppliers.
Maize is also high in oils and is usually a constituent
of mixed grain. Barley is a useful source of nutrients, but again,
on its own will tend to be left. The source of barley is also important
because some of the chemical sprays used on the plants in some
arable areas may be toxic to poultry. A letter from a friend in
the USA detailed how she had lost some chickens in this way. Our
practice, when it came to feeding grain, was to feed wheat in the
summer months and mixed grain from a feed supplier in winter. The
extra calories helped to compensate for the additional demands made
on the system during the cold months.
Poultry grit and crushed oyster shell
It is important to make fine poultry grit available,
particularly where whole grains are given. It keeps the gizzard
functioning normally, allowing the grit to act as small millstones
to grind up the grains. Free-ranging ducks will often find their
own source. Crushed oyster shell is also recommended in the diet,
especially for egg producers and for those which are kept as breeding
birds. It helps to ensure that sufficient levels of calcium are
available for strong egg shells. Most feed stockists will sell both
poultry grit and crushed oyster shell. They can be placed in a shallow
container and left under cover so that the ducks can help themselves
as required.
Grazing and greens
Most ducks will forage on grass and marginal areas,
but some, such as the Wigeon and Muscovy have a definite need to
graze. Areas of pasture will therefore need to made available if
these breeds are kept. Short-growing grasses are preferable to long
ones, and it may be necessary to mow the pasture to keep it short,
as well as to produce new, fresh growth. If a grassed area is to
be sown, a suitable mixture would contain Perennial Ryegrass, Cocksfoot,
Timothy, Fescues and White Clover.
Other greens that ducks are particularly fond of
are Chickweed, Stellaria media and vegetable garden greens such
as lettuce and cabbage. They will often eat plants in situ where
they are growing in patches, but if picked for them they should
be shredded into small pieces to prevent digestive blockages. Alternatively,
bunches can be suspended in an enclosure. It is easy to cause an
imbalance in the diet by too much feeding of one thing at the expense
of another. Our practice was to let the ducks browse for greens
themselves, so that they were only taking ‘standing’ plants.
This was foraging in the field, with access to the vegetable garden
in winter, when they did a useful job of weed clearance and pest
control for us. Their basic diet, however, was compound pellets
and grain.
Pond feeding
Pond plants such as the floating duckweed, Lemna
minor, are a valuable source of food for dabbling ducks. Other plants
provide oxygen in the water as well as a habitat for insect larvae.
These, in turn may be eaten, as well as fish and even the occasional
frog. Reference has already been made to floating compound pellets
that are available for ornamentals, such as the Mergansers, as well
as to the practice of placing grain in perforated troughs in the
water for ornamentals in general.
Starting With Ducks - Sample Chapter Feeding Ducks
© 2004. Katie Thear. From Starting with Ducks , published by Broad Leys Publishing Ltd
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