Chicken bald back

[ChrisEllis]

Hi,

 

We was told to feed our runner ducks Wheat and they can also eat the chickens pellets, in what form do they eat wheat though? Can you just buy wheat from a pet store where we get the pellets from? I dont really understand...and what do you feed it in - we just have a metal bowl - is that ok?

[tom123]

I just feed my runners layers pellets

 

I feed it to them in a long trough but I use a dog bowl for my calls and they love it, this would probably OK for a 3-4 Runners but with 6 big ducks you need something bigger!

 

[laurmurf]

i buy whole wheat in 15kg sacks from my country store; you should be able to get that to mix with the layers pellets asTom recommends, too.

[Lesley]

Ours have layers pellets in a wide, shallow, earthenware dish and a wide based dog bowl. They each get a handful of mixed corn every afternoon, the same as the hens.

[jayjay]

Mine get layers pellets and mixed grain in a large dog bowl, they love the grain and I sometimes just scatter some on the grass near a water dish for them to pick up. They LLLLLOOOOVVVVVEEEEE mealworms - large live ones to be precise, would take my arm off for them!! Tomatoes (chopped very small) and lettuce (cut very finely) also go down a treat. Spoilt - never!!

[ChrisEllis]

Sounds perfect - i need to watch them a bit to see what they are eatig - they are very nervous at the moment but i know they eat Hovis bread so i need to get them eating first

[jayjay]

I thought bread was BAD Is that true?

JJ

[tom123]

Bread should be soaked in water before you feed it to chickens/ducks

[ChrisEllis]

oh ok - learn something new everyday

[miller30]

Its not good feeding them bread everyday mine get it as a treat and ive never soaked my bread in water for the ducks and chickens ive had them years and none are dead i know loads of people who just give it dry so i wouldnt worry about that to much but never give them stale or mouldy bread that is bad for them.

[ChrisEllis]

They still aren't eating - they have a bowl of growers pellets and they just tread on it and tip it over and dont even acknowledge there is any food I'm getting worried

[Redwing]

It could be that as they are new and you are so pleased with them they have been having a few treats? try cutting out everything else and they will get the idea that the pellets are food (they may have not been fed pellets at the last place)

 

A brown ceramic heavy dogs bowl will keep the pellets in place

[bessandra]

Hi chris

you could do with knowing what they ate before they came to you,that may help. Also,are they on grass at yours? If so,they will be nibbling at that and so maybe not that hungry for pellets. How old are they chris?

[ChrisEllis]

Well the person who gave them to us said growers pellets are fine and a bit of bread and so thats what we fed them - first day i spent with them today and i saw them eating a few times so im not so worried now - plus we went out to get some goose and duck breeder pellets which are good for them, and i dont think they had grass before they came here so they must be infatuated with that hehe!

[Guest]

Hi

 

I just buy layers pellets (not sure what age they are?) but it may be a different brand to what they had before. They wont starve themselves so i wouldnt worry too much. If I change brands(a bit like changing dog food..fussy dog) they are no different.

I did try wheat with my ducks but it just got eaten by the wild birds and they didnt like dry corn either.

 

good luck indie(ducks like worms and snails)