![]() ![]() Salamanders and various other small amphibians. ![]() When ducks are left to their own devices in the wild or when free ranging, these are the commonly available (and healthy) food sources they will be attracted to the most: Nature knows best, so I try to keep the daily feed rations and supplements as close to what the ducks would encounter in the wild as possible. On days when they are left inside their spacious run and during evening put up, they are given healthy treats. We free-range our ducks and chickens most days, so they have ample access to their natural diet. A higher protein and calcium diet can foster both better quality and quantity of eggs. If you are raising ducks for meat, the amount of food provided is usually increased. On average, ducks consume about seven ounces (approximately 200 grams), and two cups of food daily when mature. They are avid browsers and foragers and tend to chomp their cute little beaks onto anything that intrigues them. (And, at the end of the article, you’ll get a chance to save these lists on your computer in PDF format.) Duck Eating Habitsĭucks, like chickens, are omnivorous poultry birds. Whatever food you choose to take on your duck feeding adventures, please consider avoiding bread, offer only small amounts, scatter food sparingly over the water and do all you can to feed wild ducks responsibly >Īnd yes, you really can get your hands on some of the winning “as tested on TV” Quack Snacks from just £3.The duck food information and lists you will find in this New Life On A Homestead article were compiled from primarily my own many years of duck husbandry experience, tips from other homesteaders who have also kept ducks for a long time, chats with our livestock vet, and from a bit of cross-referenced online research. Well, here’s what Mike had to say about Quack Snacks – and you can see the test as broadcast below: “These pellets, undoubtedly the winner….the birds are loving them” Ecologist Mike Dilger (l) testing the best foods for ducks on BBC Inside Out with Andrew from Quack Snacks However, the wonderful Buxton ducks had now had the chance to sample four foods and with a television camera recording as Mike reached for the Quack Snacks – were we about to be featured on a TV bloopers show instead of Inside Out?! ![]() Our pellets are specially formulated to provide ducks and swans with essential vitamins and minerals, whilst also floating for long enough for you to enjoy seeing the ducks eat them. We know from our own earlier tests that supermarket value porridge oats will also be snacked on, albeit their slightly dusty nature does make things a bit messier on a windy day! Quack Snacks Floating Swan & Duck Food Pellets These just weren’t any porridge oats, they were jumbo porridge oats – selected to be better floaters! Sure enough, the porridge oats floated for long enough to attract the attention of more of our diners than the lettuce, peas or bird seed. Also, what they don’t eat litters the ground and can attract vermin. We wouldn’t recommend scattering it on the ground, as that can entice ducks into harm’s way – see passing dogs chasing them back into the water. This also sank right away, gaining little attention from any of our feathered quacking friends.Īs with peas or sweetcorn, you may have more success scattering it over shallow water. We tried so-called “no mess” garden bird seed, with kibbled maize, sunflower hearts and oats. If using peas, we’d recommend trying them over shallow water – if they’re visible and accessible to dabbling ducks, you may have more success. Alas, they sank right away and only attracted the attention of a couple of long-necked diners. Peas or sweetcorn are commonly included in lists of duck-friendly foods, so we defrosted some supermarket garden peas to tempt our quacking friends. If trying lettuce yourself, we’d recommend trying the most lightweight leaves in bite-size pieces – a floating snack appears one more likely to at least be sampled. They floated briefly, enough for a few of the ducks and geese to investigate, but it was only really the Canada Geese who had a nibble – perhaps unsurprising as they’d been grazing on the green grass surrounding the lake moments before. We used the dark green outer leaves of Little Gem lettuce, ripped into small bite-size pieces. ![]()
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