To get big healthy ducks you want to ensure that they are well fed with the right nutrients and in the right proportion.
Anything less than that and you might have reduced egg production, deformed eggs and other problems might occur.
How often should you feed your ducks? You want to feed your ducks at least 3 times daily. This will allow them to get all the right nutrients and in the right proportions. There are some recommended amounts based on the size, activity and the needs of the ducks, however you should ensure that your ducks have access to food all day.
How much does a laying duck eat per day?
Basically the average egg laying duck needs about one quarter pound of food everyday to grow and perform normal body functions
This is about ¾ cups of food and I need to mention here that this is a rule of thumb and you can always adjust to suit your needs
Most people will argue that there is no hard rule on how much a duck can eat per day because it depends on the breed, how active they are and the season.
Your ducks will need a little more or a little less than ¾ cups of food daily
In my opinion, at first you want to feed your ducks a lot more than you think they will need and then over time you get to have a feel of how much they will need.
How many times a day should I feed my ducks?
Like i earlier mentioned, ducks should be fed at least 3 times daily but again you should note that ducks are foragers and they like to find food themselves.
So the best feeding method is to free feed your ducks by allowing them to feed themselves and find food
But you also want to ensure that food is always available for them to feed at all times.
If you are going to be short for time, then you can feed them in the morning and in the evening when you get back.
NOTE: When feeding ducks, you might run into some problems such as birds, rodents and other small animals that will attempt to steal your duck food. To avoid this you want to use an Automatic Poultry Treadle Feeder when feeding your ducks.
This will ensure that only your ducks get to the food and you avoid wasting food to rodents and other small animals.
Do ducks need food all the time?
Ducks need food and fresh water all the time especially when they are young and growing up.
This is because when they are young and before they fully develop, they need as much food and nutrients as possible to ensure that their body functions properly.
How much food does a duck need per day?
To answer this question, here is a table I showing you what you need to know
| Nutrients | 0-2 weeks | 2 – 6 weeks | 6 – 8 weeks | Full Grown |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metabolizable energy (Kcal/lb.)3 | 1400 | 1400 | 1400 | 1300 |
| % Protein | 20 | 18 | 16 | 16 |
| % Lysine | 1.1 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.75 |
| % Arginine | 1.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.85 |
| % Calcium | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.9 |
| % Potassium | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 |
| % Sodium | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.15 |
| Magnesium | 230 | 230 | 230 | 230 |
| Zinc (mg/lb) | 32 | 25 | 30 | 30 |
| Iron (mg/lb.) | 35 | 20 | 30 | 30 |
| Copper (mg/lb) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Vitamin A | 4000 | 2500 | 4000 | 4000 |
| Vitamin D3 | 500 | 400 | 400 | 350 |
| Vitamin E | 10 | 5 | 10 | 10 |
| Vitamin K | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Vitamin B12 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 |
| Folic acid | 0.60 | 0.40 | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| Thiamin | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Pyridoxine | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.4 |
How long can ducks go without food?
Ducks can survive for 6 to 9 hours without food or water.
This is because ducks have a complex digestive system that allows them to digest food as they eat it and not store any.
As a result of this, they need to eat and take in food daily to support their body functions.
As ducklings, they require a higher amount of food and at regular intervals than when they are fully grown.
So you want to ensure that your birds have access to food all the time so they do not die of starvation.
What is the best food for ducks?
If you keep ducks as pets or you rear them, then there are certain foods that are special to them which you might have noticed.
Ducks are omnivores and will eat “anything” that they can find most especially greens, leafy vegetables and kitchen scraps
Here are some of the best foods you can feed to ducks
1. Sweet Corn
Ducks will eat corn and sweat corn and they especially love it.
You can feed it to them tinned, frozen or fresh.
2. Lettuce
Lettuce is another food that ducks enjoy.
It contains lots of vitamins and nutrients that are essential for the healthy growth of your birds.
3. Peas
They love peas – either fresh or frozen
4. Oats
5. Seeds
6. Rice
Conclusion
Ducks should be fed at least 3 times daily and more if they are ducklings.
This is because they need as much food as they can to support their body growth and increase their output
