How to Feed a Peking Duck

Pekin ducks are the breed of choice for commercial breeders who raise flocks to sell for meat. The Pekin grows quickly, attaining a weight of six to seven pounds in just seven to nine weeks. Other breeds, like Muscovy and Rouen, tend to take at least five months to reach a similar weight. Expect one Pekin duck to consume about 20 to 25 pounds of commercial duck feed in the amount of time it takes to reach a marketable weight.

Things You'll Need

  • Duck feed
  • Cardboard
  • Dish
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Instructions

    • 1

      Sniff commercial duck feed before you feed it to your Pekin ducks. Discard if it smells moldy or otherwise spoiled. Ducks develop health problems from even small amounts of mold.

    • 2

      Offer your ducks pellets at all times. Do not restrict access to food; the ducks will eat as much as they need. Check the food supply twice daily and replenish as needed.

    • 3

      Give Pekin ducks up to two weeks old a starter diet that consists of pellets no larger than 1/8-inch in diameter. Place the pellets on a rough surface like cardboard for the first week to help avoid leg injuries. After two weeks, place the pellets in a shallow dish.

    • 4

      Feed your Pekin ducks a grower diet after they are two weeks old. This consists of commercial pellets that are about 3/16-inch in diameter.

    • 5

      Let the ducks out to forage freely in good weather.