To make sure your duck gets the best nutrition, there is no alternative to duck feed. You can give them the same one as the chickens, but that won’t be a sufficient diet to follow. From proper nutrition, your duck will grow their best.
So, here we have gathered some of the best duckling starter feed you can find out there. These come with balanced nutrition, and they are specifically for ducks. You can choose any of them based on the one you like the most.
Let’s get going.
Quick List: 7 Best Duckling Starter Feed
- Manna Pro Duck Starter Grower Crumble
- Manna Pro Non-Medicated Starter Crumble Feed for Chicks & Ducklings
- Purina Nutritionally Complete Duck feed
- New country Organics Duck Grower Feed, 40 lb. Bag
Popular Duck Food Brands
Even though branded duck feeds may cost you a bit more than others, they are worth it. You don’t want to take any risk with the lives of your ducklings. With branded duck feed, you can rely on the quality all the time. And you will rest assured that your ducklings will be healthy no matter what.
Some popular brands for duck feed you can check out are-
You may also find other choices. But you can rely on these without having to question the quality too much.
Top 7 Duckling Starter Feeds Reviewed
We are keeping the list short so that you can choose one pretty easily. Also, these come with pure quality, so you won’t have to question that either.
1. Manna Pro Duck Starter Grower Crumble
When you consider quality, then you shouldn’t be worried about the price. That’s what this duck feed is all about. It doesn’t come very cheap, but the price you pay is for sure worth it.
First of all, it fulfills most vitamins and nutrients your ducklings need. You will never have to worry about giving your duckling proper nutrition when you rely on this feed. One specific food content that makes it a great choice is the included niacin in the feed. This is an essential nutrient for the better growth of ducklings.
Having said that, it lacks magnesium and sugar as the food content. So, it’s better to add some magnesium and sugar to the water you use to prepare the feed.
As for the other qualities, it comes without the inclusion of any antibiotic ingredients or artificial colors. Also, the pellets are pretty easy to feed, and your ducklings should love how it tastes.
You can use this feed for ducks of any age. There is no age restriction for this feed. Although it works best for ducklings as you can see the growth happening in front of your eyes.
Altogether, it’s a great started feed for any duckling, and you can rely on this one over any chicken feed you are using now.
Pros
Cons
2. Manna Pro Non-Medicated Starter Crumble Feed for Chicks & Ducklings
If you have both chicks and ducks, then this can be a better solution than the previous one. It meets most of the needs of your chicks and ducks. But be aware that you will need to go for some additional food for your chicks and ducks as it doesn’t meet all the requirements.
The protein element on this one is just perfect with the 18% in it. This way, your ducklings and chicks will get the proper protein and maintain the perfect weight. It keeps the weight in check and doesn’t make your ducklings overweight which can be a serious issue.
To be honest, these aren’t the most affordable starter feed. But when you ask if they are worth it or not, we would have to say they are worth it. You will be getting in this pack of feed are quality ingredients that make sure your chicks or ducklings stay healthy. And it helps in their better growth, so nothing to complain about there either.
You can feed this to your chicks and ducks very easily without having to worry too much about preparation. The crumbles come in a perfect size that any chick or duckling can easily gobble up.
Overall, you can’t find any better starter feed than this one if you happen to have a mixed flock of chicks and ducklings. As it’s suitable for both and gets balanced nutrition, there should be no problem at all.
Pros
Cons
3. Purina Nutritionally Complete Duck feed
When you are buying duck feed, your biggest concern should be whether your ducks will eat them or not. With Purina duck feed, you don’t have to worry about that at all. Just put them in front of your ducks and see them finishing a whole bowl within moments. Especially, ducklings love to eat these daily.
Well, filling the belly of your ducklings won’t help much if there is no nutrition. Now, this duck feed has got you covered with that as well. It has got the perfect balance of nutrients for giving the appropriate diet to your ducklings. You feed them this consistently, and you will see them growing so fast and big.
One thing you should be aware of is that you can’t throw the pellets in water. It doesn’t float at all. So, you can only get this feed if you have your ducks in a backyard or a land. If they visit you by water, then this isn’t the right pick at all.
Another thing to know here is that it includes some probiotics that help in immunity and digestion. If you want to have a non-medicated duck feed, you shouldn’t be getting this one either.
Other than this, it’s a great duckling starter feed you can go for. It has got most of the necessary nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, niacin, protein, etc. So, you can always be assured of the flavor with proper nutrients with this one.
Pros
Cons
4. New country Organics Duck Grower Feed, 40 lb. Bag
Usually, it would help if you weren’t looking for affordability when it comes to duck feed. However, if you have no other option, you can go for this one as an affordable pick. It comes with decent quality and has a reasonable price within the range.
It’s a good feed for ducklings aged more than 2 weeks. You can feed them until they are grown up enough to lay eggs or have the slaughter weight. So, you don’t need to worry about switching up a different feed for quite a long time.
While this is affordable, it doesn’t lack the nutrients. You still get great protein content that helps in controlled weight gain. It doesn’t make your duck overweight neither lacks protein content to keep them underweight.
What’s more interesting is the presence of niacin in the nutrient contents. It comes with higher levels of niacin which is very crucial for the growth of your ducklings. It helps them grow better and quicker.
Even though this is completely organic duck feed, there are some probiotics to help out digestion. Aside from that, the feed works out perfectly for people who don’t want to spend too much on duck feed.
Pros
Cons
Getting the Best Duckling Feed
Now, if you are wondering how you can choose one, here is something that might help. Choosing the perfect feed for your ducklings depend on various factors. Consider the following factors before buying any duckling feed.
‣ Level of nutrients
The most important factor to look out for is the level of nutrients the duck feed has. When you check that, you have to make sure the feed has got all the major ingredients. You will have to accept the fact that no feed will come with all the nutrients. So, trying to look for that won’t help you at all.
The best duck feed should have all the major nutrients in balance. One of the most important nutrients you should be checking in your duck feed is niacin. This plays a huge role in the growth of your ducklings.
Aside from that, you should also check out the protein levels. Usually, anything between 15 to 18 percent of protein works great for ducklings as a controlled weight gain measure. This way, they don’t get overweight and still get the proper nutrition.
‣ Flavor
There is no point in getting nutritious food if your ducklings don’t even eat them, right? That’s why make sure to get something that ducks love to eat. You can check out other user’s experiences with the duck feed to learn about their flavor profile.
Also, instead of getting a whole lot of duck feed right away, you can try getting a smaller size in the beginning. This way, you can determine if your ducks like the feed or not. Flavor plays a huge role in giving your ducklings a proper diet.
‣ Organic
The best kind of food you can give to any pet is organic food. Any chemical in food can have some negative impact on your ducklings. While every duck might not have issues with chemicals, yours might have; who knows.
So, it’s always better to go for organic feed that doesn’t come with any artificial ingredients. That way, you can ensure the better health of your duckling.
The Bottom Line
To sum it up, choosing the best duckling started feed shouldn’t be a problem when you know what your ducks like. You may have to try out different ones to find out your ducklings’ choices. Once you find that out, try sticking to that particular one for as long as you can.
Getting the perfect feed for your ducklings will not only make your ducks healthy but will also make you happy. Because when you see them grow properly, it will for sure be a satisfying feeling that you get. So, don’t compromise with the quality of feed whatsoever.