[Chris H]

Very pleased to have been offered 13 mixed laying ducks to add to my slowing growing croft. I think they will have been left to fend for themselves a bit and I would like to get them on a good diet, what do you feed? is mixed corn a good start point. I keep poultry and the ducks are having built a nice fenced area with pond. I am a little limited as the Isle of Lewis does not stock any thing to exotic
What shall I feed to make a happy laying duck

[Blueeyes]

Hi Chris H, I only got ducks about 6months ago but so far have had eggs virtually every day and have very happy healthy ducks, I have 4 Swedish blues, but obviously I'm no expert, there are ppl on here that are tho so no doubt you will get lots of great answers 

But we feed our ducks mixed corn, have grit available all the time, fresh drinking water daily (they are so messy!) and then they get a treat of fresh vegetables each day - they love peas, sweetcorn, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber etc I chop everything up nice & small for them!

They also get to forage free range for worms & bugs most days, but watch your vegetable patch if you have one 

Ours have a large totally secure night time enclosure with duck house, then they get let into another even larger day time enclosure with access to night time one too, and they have 2 ponds to play in    very happy ducks!!!

Blueeyes x

[Chris H]

Thanks for that, sounds a lovely diet to me I have croft land that is very long grass at the moment and was wondering if I might need to cut a bit as I did hear that long grass can get stuck in the crop? any advice on that? I know they are messy, but think the fun of watching them and the eggs will be worth it

[Hermit]

Hi, my ducks are in a paddock with my goats, they used to be on the moor in with a burn but I could never find the eggs! They do need fresh running water to suppliment their diet with associated weeds , frogspawn, buggies etc, mine dont have a burn now but a free running ditch that drains the hill so it brings down new goodies all the time. So , mine dont get a breakfast unless the ground is frozen but I feed mine a layers mash at night to get them in. I find a mash satisfies them more than loose grain or pellets. Croft land is ideal for ducks, lots of damp easy grubbable land. I used to have Swedish blue and Aylseburies but I found them too heavy for the land, if you know what I mean.. they just turned everything to mud. I now have runners that are lighter on the land. Ducks are very greedy and unfillable so you need to just watch their weight, fat ducks dont lay. I have never put grit out for anything cause I think mine have access to plenty of natural grit Another tip is for a water container inside their hut. I use an old lick bucket with holes cut into the side and a snap on lid. This means they can get their heads in the bucket to drink and preen before bed but not get into the bucket, as ducks can drown! They get stuck in buckets and cant get out , get exhausted and drown. So no open buckets etc  for ducks. Also if you leave them in until 9.30 , 10.00 ish the eggs should be laid by then inside, if you cant I would put shelters around to tempt them to lay in there or else the crows will get the eggs . Good luck with your ducks.

[Chris H]

Thanks Hermit, may let them have the run of the croft area that has a burn.

[Blueeyes]

Ducks are fabulous fun, they make me chuckle so much    I want some Indian runners next then maybe a couple of silver appleyards, but we will need to extend everything first, so my work order has been put onto hubby's work list 

Blueeyes x

[Bangbang]

Our Call ducks are fed bruised barley as a supplement and lettuce as a treat.
They have a pond and all are able to fly, so there everywhere. They all come home
every evening and get put into there secure pen area which has the nest boxes
They would kill you for earth worms - we cant dig without a duck sticking its head in the hole.
Our first hatching was yesterday..12 out of 13 all well.

[Beeducked]

Mine have layers pellets with mixed corn as a treat. They also get left over veg (they love tomatoes) and they graze a lot more than many people think. As already said, they love slugs and worms. Mine all come running if they see me with a fork or spade!

[MAK]

Lots of good info here for us new duck keepers.
Can anyone tell me what I should do with a muscovey mum who has sat on her clutch of 15 eggs for 40 days now?

[Hermit]

Hi, MAK ,are you sure there are no hatchlings under her?  40 days is only a few days over, you may have got her 'sitting tight' day out a couple of days even. I would give them a couple more days and see, I have heard of hatchings being all over the place this year.( must be the weather) A mother usually knocks any bad eggs out of the nest so dont give up yet, are not Muscovy ducks actually geese? They can go over a few days.

[clydesdaleclopper]

Mixed corn on it's own would not be a nutritionally complete diet and should only be used as a supplement. Also remember that young ducks have a much higher need of niacin than hens so if you feed them on a compound feed intended for hens you will need to supplement additional niacin. Good luck - ducks are fab 

[northfifeduckling]

Mine never took to mixed corn as they just ate the wheat - so I only give them wheat at lib and a measured amount of layers pellets. If yours had been fending for themselves for some time, take it easy on the pellets, introduce them slowly. We had several ducks who could not handle them,they suddenly produced more eggs than before and they turned egg bound - not nice. Good luck with yours, you will love them! 

[Blueeyes]

Yes sorry forgot that as it was in the morning, after a sleepless night thanks to my daughter, when I answered your post but ours also has Dobson & Horrells layers pellets 

Blueeyes x

[goosepimple]

Hi MAK, just about every time our Muscovy ducks sit it seems that they do it for a lot longer than they should - I think its that you can never be quite sure when that day 1 is.  We always get to the point where we think, that's it, too long, let get her off and then the next day there they all are, cheeping away.  Just wait a bit longer....
Chris H, we use mixed grain (same as we use for our hens) and cut maize (pure corn) and flaked maize which is cornflakes lookalike (these are hard flakes but they love them).
I saw one of my Muscovies eating a frog a couple of weeks back and they're always first in for worms and slugs when there's digging going on.
Ducks are brilliant fun.

[MAK]

Thanks Goosepimple - the OH comes back tomorrow so hopefully they will start to hatch over the next few days.
As at 19:00 we have 65 eggs - but no ducklings. Bit of an accident really.