Hello all. My wife and i just took in a couple of pekin ducks that someone dropped off at our local park. Since it is not a safe place for them because of all the people who walk their dogs there we decided to bring them home until we can find a better home for them. We have been feeding them cracked corn,lettuce and a little homemade bread along with plenty of fresh water.Is there anything else i should be feeding them? They are not in very good condition. One of them has a deformed foot and has trouble walking. Thanks J.F.

-- J.F. (N8IEB@cs.com), November 30, 2001

Answers

duck chow? keep them away from chinese foods,, but if they are in bad shape,,Id go with chicken starter

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), November 30, 2001.

If the chick starter has amproleum you are ok. Be careful if it is medicated with something else because ducks don't tolerate all of the medications that chickens can. You can also feed them wild game bird feed.

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 30, 2001.

The grain and the greens sound ok but ducks in the wild take small water creatures and insects so perhaps they should have something that is well, "meatish".

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), November 30, 2001.

J.F. What a nice thing to do for some homeless ducks. You could feed them dry dog food that has been liberally moistened until it is a gruel consistency. That is what I feed baby ducks. Or, I feed my grown ducks, chicken mash or crumbles, the kind you feed laying hens. Be sure the ducks have lots of drinking water when you feed them as they can choke to death if they can't drink and eat. Merry Christmas!

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), November 30, 2001.

Slugs and snails and p - no, forget the puppy dog's tails - just got carried away for a moment. Definitely slugs and snails - bit of leftover meat or fish chopped up. Cat food - dry or even canned. Canned dog food, or soaked dog biscuits. Not MUCH meat, but some would be OK. Steamed or boiled potato and carrot and general root- vegetable peelings. Silver beet, beetroot leaves, turnip greens, the tough outer leaves from lettuce or cabbage or cauliflower, chopped up if necessary. You can get a lot of the discarded outer leaves or over- aged greenery from a greengrocer - if you explain you're looking after abandoned ducks you ought to be able to get it free. Consider over-age apples or pears or bananas or marrows or zuccini or peas or beans or whatever is available as well - ducks are as much omnivores as people or chickens - you just may need to chop or mash it a little.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), November 30, 2001.

NEVER feed chick starter. Laying mash or grower is OK but NOT STARTER

-- grant (organicgrange@yahoo.com), December 01, 2001.

Thanks folks for the prompt advice. The one duck has a pretty bad foot. There is some swelling or it is a birth defect with the toes.I found out these fellows came from a commercial duck operation and were the rejects.I will give them plenty of food,water and a clean dry roof over their little heads and see what happens. Thanks again! J.F.

-- J.F. (N8IEB@cs.com), December 01, 2001.

About how old are the ducks? I give my baby ducks unmedicated chick starter when they are small.. Get some niacin capsules and open several into their drinking water every day. Ducks need more niacin. As they grow I feed them lay pellets as can't get any water fowl feed here. Adult ones get 3#'s of salad mix daily plus some zucchini, I grow both during summer months. They have free range of over l acre for grass, weeds, and bugs. They lay the best eggs! I keep theirs and sell my chx eggs, and waste more time watching their antics!

-- Duffy (hazelm@tenforward.com), December 04, 2001.

If you have an agway nearby the ducks will enjoy Turkey and game Finisher. It is about 6 bucks for a 50 pound bag. It contains no medications and is good for them. They also will enjoy cracked corn which comes in a 50 pound bag for about 5 and a half dollars. I rotate these two for the Pekins, Mallards, and Canada geese at the local park, the love them both. I get mine at Agway but other feed or farm supply stores may have them.

-- Joe Thomas (ptgtp@yahoo.com), January 21, 2002.

this is a question not an answer.I have been feeding my ducks bread. I have 2 muscovies and 2 pekins. the muscovies love the bread, alot more than the grain. but the pekins won't even eat the bread, they love the grain though. it sounds like the ducks can live with that, but is their anything they will both eat?

-- Amanda O'Connor (Beaglelover6475@aol.com), April 01, 2002.