Feeding and grazing

In short

• An adult duck or goose eats roughly 150–250 g of grain or feed a day alongside grazing; a goose in summer much less.
• Young birds need 20 % protein and extra niacin for the first 3 weeks: roughly 2 % brewer's yeast in the feed.
• No coccidiostat in the starter unless you are sure the drug is licensed for waterfowl.
• Water always next to feed: ducks eat and drink by turns and choke without water.
• Grit (small stones) always available; for layers also oyster shell or limestone flour; eggshells go on the compost.
• Never mouldy grain: ducklings are the domestic animal most sensitive to aflatoxin.

What's inside

Chapters

1. How ducks and geese eat
2. How much and what they eat
3. Ducklings and goslings: the first three weeks
4. Bought feed or home-mixed
5. Grazing for geese
6. Ducks on the run and water
7. Garden and kitchen leftovers
8. Fattening ducks and geese
9. Layers and the breeding flock
10. Winter, water, grit and storage
11. Common mistakes
12. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Yearly feed calculator
• Ration for your batch
• Feed cost
• Grazing plan
• Feeding calendar
• Feed and growth log