Duck food in container or scattered on ground?

[storiesandglass]

Does the duck food HAVE to be in a container or do they prefer it on the ground? I have it in a bowl right now and the tiny wild birds are getting into the pen and eating all the food. Trying to come up with a solution that'd at least limit how much the little birds are getting, so my ducks get more!!

 

[PirateGirl]

I hear you! I felt like I was going through a ton of food the past few weeks. I just relocated the feeders to inside the duck house and inside the chicken coop and I'm going through far less feed again. It's the song birds for sure. I know approximately how much my flock should eat (minus the wild birds) each day. I feed about 3/4 of that amount each morning and then provide a bit more food around 4 or 5:00pm. They eat most of it pretty quick and I'm feeding the wild birds less. I still keep the water outside just a few feet from their house door so it's close by. Try moving your feeder around, even having it in a different spot each day might fool the wild birds a bit, it's hard this time of year!

 

[CarleeAnn]

Does the duck food HAVE to be in a container or do they prefer it on the ground? I have it in a bowl right now and the tiny wild birds are getting into the pen and eating all the food. Trying to come up with a solution that'd at least limit how much the little birds are getting, so my ducks get more!!

I would keep it in a bowl of some sort, the food tends to get stinky if wet and left on the ground they won’t be able to clean it as well as in a bowl.

 

[casportpony]

Does the duck food HAVE to be in a container or do they prefer it on the ground? I have it in a bowl right now and the tiny wild birds are getting into the pen and eating all the food. Trying to come up with a solution that'd at least limit how much the little birds are getting, so my ducks get more!!

They waste less if it's in a bowl.

 

[jmoschner]

Each duck is different. Some of the wild ducks that visit my backyard will only eat food if it is thrown on the ground. Some prefer to eat out of a bowl (but only a plain bowl with no decorations or it scares them). Some prefer to eat out of a bowl, but only if I'm holding it. And some prefer to be hand fed and made to feel special.

Unless other animals are physically unable to reach the food, there is going to be some stolen. I've even seen little birds run under the ducks and start grabbing the spillage.

Things that might help:

• Only feeding the ducks a few times per day and only putting out as much as they care to eat at each feeding
  
• Physically securing their enclosure so the little birds can't get in. This may be as simple as adding a layer of avian netting over the existing structure
• Have a guard animal (such as a cat, dog, or you) that will scare off or eat the food thieves
• Remove the birds from the area
  
• Provide an alternate food source for the local fauna consisting of foods they like more than whatever you're feeding the ducks.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

The food can also mold on the ground. I found this out while cleaning it up today - stuff that they spilled over from their container.