Hatching and rearing ducklings is a delightful and rewarding experience and with correct nutrition and good husbandry, your fluffy little hatchlings will quickly mature into happy, healthy ducks.

What to feed ducklings
From hatching, ducklings should be fed Smallholder Range Goose/Duck Starter Crumbs. This complete feed is balanced with all the essential nutrition young ducklings need to get them off to a flying start. This high protein starter crumb is ideal for supporting the duckling’s rapid growth and should be provided on a free-access (ad lib) basis so ducklings can feed at any time. From 3 to 4 weeks of age ducklings should be gradually changed over to Smallholder Range Goose/Duck Grower/Finisher Pellets. This offers a drop down in protein to encourage a steady, natural growth rate. Due to the shape of their bills, ducklings feed with a scooping action as opposed to the pecking motion that is characteristic of chickens. For this reason, ducklings may find it difficult to feed properly from traditional chick and poultry feeders. Instead they should be fed from a trough type feeder. One with ‘pop-holes’ for their heads is ideal as it stops the ducklings from getting into the feed and contaminating it with mud, bedding or droppings.

If your ducklings have been hatched by a broody duck or a surrogate broody hen, she will show them how to feed. For ducklings that have been hatched in an incubator it can be necessary to regularly show them where the feed is and encourage them to investigate by tapping the feeder with your finger. Scattering a little Starter Crumb on to the floor of the broody will encourage their interest in food.

Even young ducklings can be quite messy, so maintain hygiene and cleanliness through regular cleaning of the broody pen, feeders and waterers to help prevent disease and illness.

Niacin requirements.
Niacin is a B vitamin that is vital for the correct function of many systems within the body. It is also essential for bone development and is of particular importance in duck nutrition. Due to their rapid growth, ducklings have a higher requirement for niacin than poultry chicks and this is reflected in the formulation of duck starter crumbs and Duck Grower Pellets, which will contain more niacin than standard chick crumbs and grower pellets. Smallholder Range poultry feeds can be fed to ducklings in an emergency as they are drug free and do not contain coccidiostats, but they should be changed on to the specific Goose/Duck feeds as soon as possible.

Water and grit
A constant supply of clean, fresh drinking water is vital for all birds. This should be situated near to the feeder so that ducklings can eat and drink in quick succession, but far enough away so the water doesn’t get contaminated with food. Easy access for drinking is vital but ducklings should not be able to get into this water as it will quickly become dirty and unpalatable. Very young ducklings can easily drown if their water container is too deep, but an upturned jam jar lid with a stone placed in the middle is ideal until they are big enough for a purpose built waterer. A separate water source for swimming should be made available once the ducklings are big enough and suitably feathered.

When ducklings have access to an outside area they naturally ingest grit from the soil that will act as a digestive aid by helping to break down food in the gizzard. Offering an additional supply of grit alongside their feed is also beneficial.