What Do Domesticated Baby Ducks Eat?

A proper diet and balanced nutrition are important for ducklings to grow healthy and strong. Commercially prepared feed is recommended because it maximizes the health benefits for the duck. For larger flocks, you can buy certain duck feed components separately, grind them and mix them to keep costs down.

  1. Typical Feed Ingredients

    • Cracked corn is a main ingredient in duck feed.

      Duckling starter feed purchased at a feed store should contain between 16 and 20 percent protein. Examples of ingredients in duckling feed include yellow corn, vitamins, grain, plant protein (such as soybean and alfalfa meal), fish meal, riboflavin, calcium, folic acid, ground limestone, iodized salt and zinc. Some stores recommend medicated feed, but it is unnecessary for ducklings.

    How to Feed

    • Like chicks, ducklings eat from a feeder.

      The starter feed should appear as crumbles or very small pellets and be fed to the ducklings in a feeder. When they reach 2 to 3 weeks of age, you may gradually mix in a bit of scratch or grower diet (also purchased at feed stores) with the starter, weaning them off the crumbles and reducing their protein intake. The feed bag should be kept in a dry, clean area and sealed to prevent mold growth and discourage insects. Discard if it is not used within a month, or sooner in hot weather.

    Water

    • Ducklings can't drink from ponds. They need a water feeder.

      Ducks must never be given feed without water. This is because they lack the teeth to chew and could choke if the feed is not washed down. A small water feeder for duckings can later be replaced with a large one as they grow. Though young ducklings lack the adult feathers and experience to swim, that won't stop them from trying, which means the water in the feeder needs to be shallow enough that they cannot accidentally drown in it. Fresh, clean water should be constantly available to the ducklings in a place that's sheltered from the elements.

    Emergency Feed

    • Know what to feed an abandoned duckling.

      In an emergency -- for example, you've found an abandoned duckling -- you can use other types of food temporarily. These include crushed Cheerios, crushed dry dog or cat food, cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, chopped lettuce and green beans. You may need to encourage the duckling to eat by gently putting a dab of the food on the tip of its beak.

    Treats

    • A special treat for good behavior.

      After the ducklings are a month old, if you want to give them a rare treat, look to your vegetable garden. Ducks enjoy chopped-up spinach, corn, tomatoes, carrots and lettuce.