You can make a balanced homemade duck feed from whole grains, dried peas, brewer’s yeast, grit and fresh greens. It works best for adult ducks. Ducklings need a commercial starter feed because their protein and niacin needs are higher and hard to hit at home.
What Ducks Need
- Protein: about 16 to 18 percent for adults, and 20 percent or more for ducklings
- Niacin (vitamin B3): ducks need more than chickens. A shortage causes weak or bowed legs in growing ducklings.
- Calcium: laying ducks need oyster shell offered on the side
- Grit: ducks have no teeth, so grit helps the gizzard grind whole grains
- Water: deep enough to dunk their whole bill, always within reach of the feeder
A Simple Homemade Duck Feed Mix
This is a basic scratch-style mix for adult ducks. Measure by volume:
- 3 parts whole or cracked wheat or barley
- 2 parts oats
- 2 parts field peas or split dried peas
- 1 part cracked corn
- A few tablespoons of brewer’s yeast per quart of mix for niacin
Offer fresh chopped greens such as kale, lettuce, dandelion or duckweed, and a feeder or bowl of grit. Laying ducks should also have free-choice oyster shell. A mix of grains alone can run short on protein, so many keepers feed it with a good layer pellet or pasture rather than as the only food.
How to Serve It
- Soak or lightly dampen the mix. Ducks swallow food whole and can choke on dry, dusty feed.
- Feed only what they eat in 15 to 20 minutes, which keeps food from spoiling or drawing rats.
- Put water next to the food so they can rinse their bills.
- Serve on a flat tray or in a shallow tub to avoid spilled mess in the pond or coop.
Good Extras
- Peas, sweet corn and chopped cucumber
- Leafy greens and lettuce
- Mealworms or small earthworms as a protein treat
- Cooked, plain rice or oats
Foods to Avoid
- Bread and crackers, which fill ducks up without nutrition
- Avocado, chocolate, onions and raw dried beans
- Salty, sugary or moldy food
- Anything with pesticide residue
Bottom Line
A homemade duck mix of grains, peas, brewer’s yeast, grit and greens can feed adult ducks well and cut costs. Buy a commercial starter for ducklings and keep oyster shell and clean water available. If your ducks look thin or have leg problems, call an avian or poultry vet.
Related reading: what to feed Indian runner ducks, what to feed newly hatched ducklings and ducks’ favorite snacks.
