FOOD
I would recommend giving your ducks lay pellets/mash everyday, tho they will eat most things thrown at them.
They love veg scraps, carrots, tomatoes, mixed corn, hard boiled eggs and wheat but only give these as a treat.
One thing you can do with the mixed corn and wheat is put it in there water so it gives them something to do, dont put it in a pond if you have fish as it will harm them.
They will also eat worms, slugs and snails.
Bread is a big no no it is not good for them nor is chocolate, onions, seeds, nuts, salty,sweet and fatty foods
I would recommend giving your ducks lay pellets/mash everyday, tho they will eat most things thrown at them.
They love veg scraps, carrots, tomatoes, mixed corn, hard boiled eggs and wheat but only give these as a treat.
One thing you can do with the mixed corn and wheat is put it in there water so it gives them something to do, dont put it in a pond if you have fish as it will harm them.
They will also eat worms, slugs and snails.
Bread is a big no no it is not good for them nor is chocolate, onions, seeds, nuts, salty,sweet and fatty foods
WATER
Ducks need fresh water everyday so they can have a drink,wash their eyes and beak, Ducks dont have teeth so water helps wash the food down and stops them from choking.
Some ducks do not require a pond/water to swim in but if its there they will go in it, tho ducks will enjoy splashing about making themselfs clean so if you dont have a pond one of them rigid plastic kiddies sand/water pits will do the job.
Ducks need fresh water everyday so they can have a drink,wash their eyes and beak, Ducks dont have teeth so water helps wash the food down and stops them from choking.
Some ducks do not require a pond/water to swim in but if its there they will go in it, tho ducks will enjoy splashing about making themselfs clean so if you dont have a pond one of them rigid plastic kiddies sand/water pits will do the job.
HOUSING
Ducks need somewhere safe to sleep at night away from predators and the two legged sort. You can buy purpose made duck houses, use a shed, dog kennel with a door on or if you are skilled enough build your own.
For the bedding I would use woodshaving or sawdust and put some straw on top of that for somewhere the female can lay her eggs. I would recommend cleaning the house out once a week unless it gets really messy like if its been raining then every couple of days.
Ducks sleeping in dirty bedding can cause all sorts of problems for them.
Ducks need somewhere safe to sleep at night away from predators and the two legged sort. You can buy purpose made duck houses, use a shed, dog kennel with a door on or if you are skilled enough build your own.
For the bedding I would use woodshaving or sawdust and put some straw on top of that for somewhere the female can lay her eggs. I would recommend cleaning the house out once a week unless it gets really messy like if its been raining then every couple of days.
Ducks sleeping in dirty bedding can cause all sorts of problems for them.
WORMING DUCKS
Worms cause lots of damage to the digestive system which can sometimes lead to death but certainly leads to increased feed consumption, fewer eggs and loss of weight if nothing else. If ducks carry too many worms, you can have a situation where impaction occurs - this is where a blockage occurs and stops the digestive system from working, killing the bird. If a very high worm load is being carried by the duck and worms are killed, they can also release toxins into the body that kills the bird.
Ducks need to be wormed twice a year, once around winter as it will be wetter and thats when ducks are more likely to pick up the earth worms.
There are a few products on the market for worming ducks, I use verm-x.
Worms cause lots of damage to the digestive system which can sometimes lead to death but certainly leads to increased feed consumption, fewer eggs and loss of weight if nothing else. If ducks carry too many worms, you can have a situation where impaction occurs - this is where a blockage occurs and stops the digestive system from working, killing the bird. If a very high worm load is being carried by the duck and worms are killed, they can also release toxins into the body that kills the bird.
Ducks need to be wormed twice a year, once around winter as it will be wetter and thats when ducks are more likely to pick up the earth worms.
There are a few products on the market for worming ducks, I use verm-x.
ILLNESS
Angel wing
Angel wing