Instructions
Feed call ducklings a commercial duck pellet or mash consisting of 20 to 22 percent protein. Look for non-medicated food marketed for waterfowl, rather than poultry in general. Many poultry chick foods contain penicillin or other medications, which can be harmful to your ducks.
Feed adolescent and adult ducks a 14 to 16 percent protein diet. Adolescent ducks can be weaned off of their duckling diet slowly between 3 and 6 weeks of age, gradually mixing in the lower protein adult food. Laying hens can be supplemented with a slightly higher protein pellet or mash blend.
Supplement your call duck's staple diet with fresh foods such as chopped hard-boiled eggs, dark leafy vegetables, bait worms, feeder minnows and pesticide-free snails or slugs. Mealworms and waxworms can also make good treats from time to time and are commonly available at bait shops and pet stores. Offer a variety of these treats throughout the week, making sure to remove uneaten portions after a few hours to prevent spoiling.
Leave a container of fresh, clean drinking water in the duck's housing area at all times.
Clean food and water bowls daily to reduce buildup of bacteria and to prevent parasites from taking up residence near your call ducks.
Never feed your call ducks junk foods such as salty or fatty foods and avoid empty calorie items like bread and crackers, which fill your duck up without offering any real nutritional benefits. Chocolate, garlic, cookies and sweets should also be avoided.
How to Feed Call Ducks
Call ducks are the smallest of domestic duck species and can be very easy to keep and care for, so long as a balanced, nutritious diet is offered to them. A call duck's staple diet should always consist of a quality duck formula with the proper ratio of protein for your duck's developmental stage. With a balanced diet, call ducks can live for a decade or more.