What do ducklings eat as pets

While it is possible to keep just one duck, it is strongly recommended that you have at least one other duck for company, while having three or four would be best. Think about the animal's needs, and how to give it the life it needs and deserves; not the life you want it to have. Personality Traits Ducks are highly intelligent and emotional creatures.

Fun Facts Contrary to popular belief, ducks do not require a pond or other open water in which to swim. Ducks do not smell or have odor like chickens.

Ducks are not subject to parasites, fleas or ticks. Sexing ducklings is tricky, and so they are usually sold unsexed. When grown, the sexes may be distinguished by secondary characteristics. For example, in some breeds the males have a mainly green head, whereas the females do not. The rules for sexing by color are dependent on the breed. Ducks can also be sexed by their voices from the time they are about 6 weeks old. The females will begin to quack while the males' voices sound hoarse, like they have laryngitis.

Caring for Pet Ducks Ducklings must be kept warm and dry for the first three to four weeks. Where can I keep my pet duck? Ducks need minimal shelter. They should have the option of getting out of the rain, sun, and wind if they choose.

For up to four ducks, a good sized dog house is quite sufficient 2 feet by three feet for 2 ducks; 3 feet by 4 feet for four ducks. Make sure that the opening faces away from the prevailing winds.

The house can be insulated, bit this is not really necessary. If it gets very cold, try to arrange that the door can be closed. This is a good idea especially if predators might be a problem this includes the local dogs and cats. If there are other pets around yours or anyone else's , make sure the birds are well protected. The house should always be bedded with clean straw or wood shavings.

Fencing requirements are also minimal: a three foot one meter high chicken wire enclosure will do, as would a nylon garden fence. Try to arrange at least ten square feet per bird. If dogs are a hazard, the fence must be at least 4 feet high. Remember to keep the fence flush with the ground. If your yard is well fenced already, you may opt to just let the ducks run loose in it.

Nutrition Waterfowl should be fed unmedicated feed always. Related Articles. However, regardless of the breed s of ducks you may own, their basic needs are the same: a good quality diet, protection from the elements and predators, and a clean environment.

Good nutrition is crucial to keeping your ducks healthy. All ducks should be fed a crumbled or pelleted diet formulated to meet their nutritional needs. Follow the guidelines below to find the right food for your duck. It is preferable to feed a diet created specifically for waterfowl, such as Mazuri feeds made by Purina.

Alternately, you can feed a non-medicated pellet designed for chickens or parrots. Ducklings and adolescent ducks : Young ducklings grow very quickly and need food that is high in protein and calories. For the first 3 weeks of life, feed a starter diet that is per cent protein. From the fourth through the 13th week, switch to a maintenance diet with 14 per cent protein.

After the 14th week, females should be switched onto a laying diet See below. Drakes and non-laying ducks : Drakes and ducks that are not producing eggs should be fed a maintenance diet that is 14 per cent protein. While a laying ration is critical to the health of laying ducks, this diet is too high in calcium and protein for non-laying ducks.

Switch your ducks to a maintenance diet when they stop laying eggs usually in the fall. Laying ducks : Due to the large number of eggs they can produce many more than wild birds do , laying ducks have very high requirements for calcium and protein, and must be fed a layer or breeder diet. Laying diets for ducks are typically per cent protein and higher in calcium than are maintenance diets. Treats : Treats should be given in small amounts. Allowing your duck to graze in your yard is fine providing that your yard is pesticide-free.

If your ducks are kept in enclosures without access to dirt, sprinkle a small amount of grit on their food once a week.

Oyster Shell : Oyster shell is not usually necessary if your laying ducks are on a good quality-laying ration.

If despite a good diet your ducks are laying pitted or thin-shelled eggs, you may choose to supplement the laying diet with crushed oyster shell. What not to feed : Do not offer medicated feeds designed for other species, as these can be toxic to ducks. Do not feed oyster shell to non-laying ducks or to drakes, as this can lead to kidney disease. Do not feed moldy or insect-ridden foods see below. To ensure you ducks receive the best diet possible, buy small quantities of a fresh, high quality feed on a regular basis.

I have seen my mama ducks do something similar with their ducklings. For my ducky, she hates melon which is weird and also is scared of bananas but is a sucker for eggs and zuchinni, red peppers without the seeds or stem, and also broccoli. Hi, I love this! Thank you, this is very helpful. I have also noticed that he tends to peck at himself a lot.

They do tend to chatter a lot. Is he alone or does he have a duck friend with him? The other possibility is that he is either too hot or too cold.

If he still has a heat lamp on, does he try to sit as far as possible from the light with his mouth open and wings out? That would indicate he is too hot. If he was too cold he would hunker down in the bedding and just chirp a lot trying to get your attention. We recently had a mag pie duck come to our house during a storm. I have been scrambling for information on how to keep her safe and fed in the meantime… We.

Which she seems to like. We are obviously in the thick of winter as, we live in central NY. I am worried about keeping her warm. We have a wood shed that she has found. I put a bunch of hay in there… Think it will keep her warm? We also have a creek and pond so, she has fresh water:. I am new to all of this:. That is so sweet of you to care of her! A wood shed with straw is the perfect home. If possible, keep her locked in there during the night to keep her safe from predators.

They have a thick layer of fat, then downy under feathers, then the top layer of feathers which are wind and water proof. The biggest issue you have is that she is a solitary duck. Ducks are very social animals and get really stressed and depressed when living alone. If you plan to keep her, you should make plans to add another duck or two as soon as it is feasible.

Is he being treated by a vet? They will likely have some good suggestions. But until he is healed up you might need to feed him with a syringe or spoon you can mix his duck crumbles with some water to make a paste.

High protein treats like mealworms are usually pretty irresistible and can often often perk up a slow appetite and they are healthy. Hi Liz! Thank you for this super informative article. We just recently got two female Muscovy ducklings who turned a week old today, and we fall in love with them more every day. We currently have them set up in our guest bathtub with their water dish, food, radiant heater, and toys. Do you have any tips on getting the kiddos to bond with us more?

They are starting to come up to us when we stick our hands into the tub and nibble our hands sometimes even grabbing any loose skin and shaking their heads like dogs with a ragdoll, lol! We are hoping to get them used to snuggles and physical affection, but I want to go about that in a way that is amenable for them and not traumatizing. We have quails that are very bothered by human contact. I just hope these lil ducks will change their minds! Would you also have tips for integrating ducks into a household with dogs?

When can we start letting the ducklings have some shallow dish swim time? Congrats on your new babies! You are already doing the best thing, which is to let them come to you on their terms.

Putting your hand in the tub like you have is great. Lots of people rush into cuddling, picking them up and scaring them. They like to have their feet on the ground, when they are picked up and held 5 feet above the ground they are going to be nervous!

I like to sit on the floor and let them climb around me. Put some treats like peas, mealworms, or shredded lettuce around you. Eventually they get brave and start jumping on your lap. Put some of their feed in your open hand on the ground and let them come eat out of your hand. Talk to them a lot, they do find it soothing!

Another thing ducklings love is to burrow into your neck area. Once you have them in your arms, you will find they will make their way up to your neck area. If you have long hair that is down, they will burrow into the hair and fall asleep I think it reminds them of their mom! My teenagers have often worn a hoodie with the hood up and let the ducklings snuggle up behind their neck. You can start offering them treats beyond their duck food anytime.

You just have to provide grit for them when you start giving other foods. Poultry food is designed to dissolve without grit, otherwise they need grit to help break the food down in their gizzard you can buy grit or use sand 2 I have a mixed breed border collie dog and we just lost our elderly black lab mix.

I can now let the dogs run in the yard with the birds after training. We started by just spending a lot of time in the bird area with the dogs on leashes. They accepted they were part of the family and knew they were not allowed to touch them. If they could be friends when the ducks are young it is much more likely the ducks will like the dog. They will love it! Good luck and feel free to ask questions, that is how we learn! Good morning at least it is here in Indiana.

My husband was out watering and scared her out of the bush. What should I feed her? Any info or. Thanks Laura. Hi Laura, the mom will be fine if left to her own devices, but if you want to help out a bowl of fresh clean water is always nice. You could also try offering some shredded romaine lettuce or peas.

Dried mealworms are also a great way to help her get some protein you can usually find these with the birdseed. Hi I hope you can help.

I help with my brothers ducks. The are all geratic or disablem in some way all rescue ducks. Any ways one stopped walking one day so I took it home was feeding it but and minerals including nician.

I was also doing duck rehab. Any ways I wrapped ducky in her favorite towel and held her until long after I knew she passed on. But my question is what could cause duck to get stiff like that all of a sudden for no reason??? Any ideas. But I am glad you were there for her at her end.

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Liz says: Posted on March 9, at pm. Kathy Jarmolowicz says: Posted on September 5, at am. Liz says: Posted on September 6, at pm. Rita Ritchie says: Posted on May 10, at pm. Liz says: Posted on May 11, at am. Liz says: Posted on April 22, at pm. Liz says: Posted on April 10, at pm. Steele says: Posted on June 22, at pm.

Yes put in water most ducks will not eat it is not in water. Shelley Woodroof says: Posted on June 29, at pm. Sandra Steyn says: Posted on June 9, at am. Shanen says: Posted on July 13, at am. Liz says: Posted on July 13, at pm.