The key to raising ducklings is to provide them with a healthy, balanced diet. They need a wide variety of nutrients, including protein, vitamins and minerals.
When ducklings are first hatching they are very weak and need a small amount of extra yolk nutrition until they are ready to move onto starter crumbs. They should only receive this food type from day one until they are three weeks old.
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Feeding
Ducklings are extremely hungry, so you will want to feed them a variety of food. They can be fed small insects, worms, or fish at least twice a day. They can also be free-fed, allowing them to eat what they find on the ground.
Ideally, you should feed your ducklings a non-medicated chick starter or grower feed mixed with a niacin supplement. This type of feed has an 18-20 percent protein content and is easy for young ducklings to eat.
The niacin in the chick starter or grower will help them develop strong bones and joints. It is also essential to prevent the deficiency of niacin that can cause bowed legs, joint disorders, and shorten their lifespan.
The best form of feed for ducklings is a crumble made with chick starter and a niacin supplement. A 50-50 blend of rolled oats and cornmeal, whirled in a food blender to a mash or crumble consistency is also acceptable for ducklings, but you should wet the mash so they don’t choke on it.
Water
Ducklings need plenty of water to drink and to bathe in. This helps them keep their feathers, oil glands and skin clean and clear of parasites and mites. It also allows them to cool down in hot weather.
They also need water to help them digest food. Dry foods are difficult for ducks to swallow so they need water to wash them down.
If you have a pond, they can use it to swim in. However, this can be risky if they are not able to get out of the water easily.
A pond to bathe in is not always possible, so baby ducks need to be provided with a deep bowl or container of water. A small quart fount will suffice for 5 or fewer ducklings up to 2 weeks of age; a gallon fount will be needed for older birds.
It is also a good idea to give ducklings some finely chopped green feed, such as Swiss chard, lettuce, kale, peas and dandelion greens, sprinkled in their waterer. This will encourage them to scoop it out of the water and forage for themselves as they would in the wild.
Bedding
Ducklings love to eat, and they will do so any way they can. This means they are likely to gnaw away at everything they can, including newspaper and wood shavings.
Keeping your ducks in an area where they can forage can be beneficial for their health. It will help keep them fit and healthy, as well as providing an opportunity to find bugs and other interesting things.
You will need to make sure that the ground you are letting them range on is not sprayed, and that there is grit provided with their feed. This will stop bacterial and parasitic infections that can develop when young birds chew through weeds and grasses.
When you are deciding what to put into the ducklings’ waterer, consider putting finely chopped green foods like dandelion greens or herbs. These can be a tasty treat and an enjoyable activity for the little ducklings to play with.
Exercise
Ducklings need to be exercised as soon as they can walk, and it’s a good idea to turn them out in a pond or field foraging. They’ll learn to search for food and will also be able to fend off common pests like slugs and beetles.
Feed them a mixture of finely shredded vegetables (like romaine or round lettuce), and watercress, and clods of turf or pondweed in shallow dishes of fresh water. This will help them to forage for food naturally, and you can supplement this with a few crushed dried mealworms sprinkled in the weeds.
It’s best to avoid feeding ducklings bread, because it’s a high-protein food that can cause abnormalities in their development. It also doesn’t contain enough vitamins and minerals, which can shorten their lifespan.
