Duckling won't eat anymore

[QuakieChan]

Hello everyone!

My ducking is about a month old now but he won't eat his all purpose crumbles. After his sister passed away, he ate less and less. But now he's eating normally just not his regular food. He'll rapidly eat the snacks we give him like meal worms and koi food, fruits and vegtables but I'm afraid they don't contain enough nutrition like regular duck feed. I try to put some of the mealworms in with his crumbles but he's good at picking them out and will only eat all of them then stop and call for more without touching more of the crumbles. He also doesn't seem to be getting that much bigger when he was growing at a steady rate earlier. Help pls?

 

[Mckennas poultry]

Try giving him something else

 

[CrystaBub]

My 2 ducklings also stopped eating the crumbles after a few weeks. I switched to duck pellets instead, which they liked more, but still didn't gobble it up to my liking. I started making 'duck soup' which is basically a bunch of stuff in a big pan of water that's deep enough for them to fish around in. Dandelion greens chopped, kale leaf whole (also serves as a toy), green peas, berries (whatever treats I have on hand or can grab out of the yard) make up about 30% of it - then I put in some grit, duck pellets, rolled oats which make up the rest - sometimes I add a small sprinkling of crushed meal worms and a dash of ACV. They absolutely love it and they are very healthy and huge so it must be working haha.

Are you considering getting him a new friend? Maybe he's lonely for some feathered companionship... I'm sorry about his sister.

Good luck - keep us posted on his progress.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

@QuakieChan your duckling probably is lonely. But also, it would eat the treats over the crumbles. It is like being offered candy and then liver. If you are offering too many treats, you might want to cut back on them. He will eat when hungry.
As long as everything else is ok with it, it will be fine.
Also, make sure it has grit available especially when treats are being given.
What happened to the other duckling?

 

[Mckennas poultry]

@QuakieChan your duckling probably is lonely. But also, it would eat the treats over the crumbles. It is like being offered candy and then liver. If you are offering too many treats, you might want to cut back on them. He will eat when hungry.
As long as everything else is ok with it, it will be fine.
Also, make sure it has grit available especially when treats are being given.
What happened to the other duckling?

Ducklings need grit ?? Would that not be too much calcium ?
I thought grit was to promote egg laying and to help harden the shells

https://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/pages/care-and-feeding-of-pet-ducks

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Ducklings need grit ?? Would that not be too much calcium ?
I thought grit was to promote egg laying and to help harden the shells

https://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/pages/care-and-feeding-of-pet-ducks

You would offer them chicken grit. It is like tiny pebbles. It helps them to digest their food like it helps chickens. I am not talking about oyster shell that is not grit. Oyster shell would be offered for calcium.
I will go read the link you posted, but I read Storey's guide to raising ducks and it explains why they need grit. Layers would need extra calcium or oyster shell.

 

[sourland]

Ducklings need grit ?? Would that not be too much calcium ?
I thought grit was to promote egg laying and to help harden the shells

https://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/pages/care-and-feeding-of-pet-ducks

Grit and calcium supplementation (oyster shell) are two entirely different things.

I, too, am curious as to why the other duckling died. This may be a clue to the solution of your problem. As long as he gets as much 'treats' as he wants, he will not eat the commercial feed.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Ducklings need grit ?? Would that not be too much calcium ?
I thought grit was to promote egg laying and to help harden the shells

https://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/pages/care-and-feeding-of-pet-ducks

As per the link you posted:
Grit: Ducks that have access to dirt will pick up small stones on their own and don’t need supplemental grit offered. If your ducks are kept in enclosures without access to dirt, sprinkle a small amount of grit on their food once a week.

 

[Mckennas poultry]

You would offer them chicken grit. It is like tiny pebbles. It helps them to digest their food like it helps chickens. I am not talking about oyster shell that is not grit. Oyster shell would be offered for calcium.
I will go read the link you posted, but I read Storey's guide to raising ducks and it explains why they need grit. Layers would need extra calcium or oyster shell.

I suppose they get grit from going outside and eating off the ground.
I usually let mine out for an hour a day after the first week until they’re fully feathered.

 

[casportpony]

Ducklings need grit ?? Would that not be too much calcium ?
I thought grit was to promote egg laying and to help harden the shells

https://www.forthebirdsdvm.com/pages/care-and-feeding-of-pet-ducks

Insoluble grit is different than oyster shell or oyster shell grit.