What do you feed a baby duck?!?!?

**iwuvsmypuppy** · 03-27-2003, 07:29 AM

my sisters biology class is watching some duck eggs hatch this semester>>they are due today!! but when we get them we arent exactly sure what we should feed them. They will be very young when we get them.( After they are grown we are gonna set them free.) i tried looking online but i didnt find much. If any of you could help me it would be GREATLY appreciated!

**wolfsoul** · 03-27-2003, 08:58 PM

Whatever you do, don't feed them bread. It's what people like to feed them, I know, but it actually swells in their stomach and makes it hard for them to poo.
You can go to a feed store and they will have duck food there. My grandmother has ducks and Canada geese every spring, and she feeds them regular duck feed. I'm not sure what it consists of though.

**iwuvsmypuppy** · 03-27-2003, 09:14 PM

thanx buches, i just found out that the teacher had to"discard" of the rest of the eggs cuz we will be on spring break this next week
i have heard of the special duck feed but i was wondering if there might be anything in my yard like clover that i could feed them< now that the teacher has to get new eggs i have more time to research this but any help would be appreciated!!

**wolfsoul** · 03-27-2003, 09:22 PM

My grandma told me that baby ducks need special baby duck food that supplements in it. She said that ducks are very good at finding their own salad in the yard, and so greens from outside would be good.

**iwuvsmypuppy** · 03-27-2003, 09:26 PM

thanx again>> but this is what i was wondering since we took it away from its mommy will it know what to eat and what not to eat>> what if he or she accidentaly eats something posionus but doesnt know it>> any answers to that one from your grandma?lol

**Desert Arabian** · 03-28-2003, 05:44 PM

Originally posted by iwuvsmypuppy
After they are grown we are gonna set them free.)

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO,NO DO NOT DO THIS!!! Your duck will end up dying. It will have no clue how to fend for itself on its own, there are too many predators that will want to taste it for lunch. It won't know how to migrate, it won't know where to find good food. Is this a barn duck or a wild breed duck?? Barn ducks DO NOT get set free. If you want this duck, you have to keep it, or find a house/farm where it can live out the rest of its life. Since you will be having it as a baby, it will imprint the human-kind, that's why it can't be released.

Please, do some more research on ducks before you consider brining one into your home. For the sake of the duck.

**iwuvsmypuppy** · 03-28-2003, 06:16 PM

thanks alot but the whole yard thing what about it.....

**Desert Arabian** · 03-28-2003, 06:58 PM

What "yard thing" are you talking about?

**Desert Arabian** · 03-28-2003, 07:14 PM

On the feeding issue, a lot of ducks like to eat meat. Not too much, but they do incorporate it into their diet. Some ducks like to eat little fish, water bugs, etc.

This is a REALLY GOOD feeding website, check it out. It has really good advice!! Click Here

**wolfsoul** · 03-28-2003, 07:15 PM

The whole thing about them eating poisonous things and whatnot.
I think that instinct would be enough to tell them what's good or not.

You should try watching Fly Away Home. It's about canadian geese, but relates.

**Desert Arabian** · 03-28-2003, 07:19 PM

Wolfsoul- the hen teaches the ducklings what to eat, since it won't have any mother to teach it what to eat and what not to eat, it is quite possible for a duckling to eat something harmful.

If that were to happen, the best thing to do would be to rush it to the vets office or local humane society- they deal with wild animals. At least the humane society by me does.

**iwuvsmypuppy** · 03-28-2003, 10:26 PM

thanks you guys>> i have been copying and pasting all the info from these sites onto word pad>> i now have 6 and a half pages of size 12 font to read!! lol but it will come in handy>> now ANY NAME IDEAS??