What other kind of snacks to give baby ducks

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Hi I have two ducks that are a month old and I feed them the turkey starter. and when their out and about they nibble and eat my grass what else can you feed these babys as a snack and is there anything else to provide them with right now they love music they seem to stay close by a tiny radio and the pond I built them. Is there anything else you know that they would like.

Angelina Dee

-- Angelina Dee (diva@angelinadee.com), April 20, 2002

Answers

My ducks are very fond of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and they love cheerios thrown on thier pond! If i have them i will throw a handful of oats on thier pond and they like that to.

-- Susan (dsowen@tds.net), April 20, 2002.

Hard boiled eggs!!!!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), April 20, 2002.

Earthworms! Our ducks love them.

-- Kris in Wisc (kkwoestman@yahoo.com), April 20, 2002.

At all cost avoid anything with salt - it is deadly to young waterfowl.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 20, 2002.

Slugs and snails and .... well, slugs and snails anyway. Caterpillars. Grasshoppers. Beetles. Maybe might need to crack the snail's shells at first to give them the idea. Do this for hens too. It is a great joy to watch poultry squabbling over who gets to eat the latest snail.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 20, 2002.


When they get older, get the really cheap minnows or gold fish, nothing like watching them get their feet tickled and them diving for food. Call them every day, the same thing... Hey duck, or what ever, they will always come later, when you call them.

-- lacyj (hillharmony@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.

The best is peas - roll them into the pen, and then watch all those cute little ducks run around trying to catch them!

-- seraphima (seraphima@ak.net), April 22, 2002.

Crayfish!!!!!!!!!!

-- Ellen Hunt (ellenhunt@austin.rr.com), April 22, 2002.

My ducklings grow up on (and continue to get) canned peas, canned green beans, cooked rice. They love romaine lettuce. Also corn pops cereal - but after a certain age they don't like it anymore. Sugar in the cereal adds glucose, which helps them keep warm when they're little. The 2 I have now, about 6 weeks old, are into canned asparagus. Cracked corn is essential. Eggshells, after being rinsed really well - great for their protein needs. Our ducks/geese get chicken crumbles, rather than that for turkeys. Think there's a difference. Don't feed your ducks/geese bread, bread products. Note the corn pops are made from corn - buy the kind without flour.

Ducks require 3 times their body weight in food every day. They also have high nutrient needs.

If they're only a month old, I'd keep them out of the pond, especially if the water is cold. Ducks are subject to hypothermia!! And ducklings especially are. Also, ducks/geese have a problem with high summer temperatures. If your birds are panting with their mouths open, they're too hot and in trouble. Ducklings have down, not waterproof feathers. Until they've lost the down/baby feathers and have their adult feathers, they shouldn't be getting wet in cold water constantly. My ducklings are approx. 6 weeks old. They just started going outside, during the day only, about a week ago. Before it cools off at night, they are brought in and given time in the bathtub in warm water. They spend the night in the bathroom.

To check the temperature on waterfowl, feel their bills and feet. If those are cold, the bird is cold.

-- V (WraitheLadyA@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.


WORMS! I forgot worms - man, do ducks of all ages love worms. When it gets too hot here to find many, I've been know to make a trip to the bait shop......

-- V (WraitheLadyA@yahoo.com), April 24, 2002.


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