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Dabodabo eats like she's training for something. Big white Pekin, big appetite, and very clear opinions about peas. When we brought her home as a duckling I assumed "duck food" was a thing you bought in a bag labeled duck food. It mostly isn't. Here's what a backyard Pekin actually needs, what she can share with the chickens, and the vitamin problem that trips up almost every new duck owner.
Quick answer
A backyard Pekin duck eats a non-medicated poultry feed (Flock Raiser or a waterfowl feed) as the base, plus a niacin boost, free-choice grit and oyster shell, and treats like peas, greens and mealworms in small amounts. Water deep enough to dunk her whole head is part of "food" for a duck, not an extra.
The base: what goes in the bowl every day
Ducklings (0 to about 3 weeks)
Ducklings need a starter feed with around 20% protein, and it must be non-medicated. Chick starter with amprolium is fine for chicks but ducklings eat and drink far more, and the medicated version isn't formulated for them. Dabodabo had crumbles wet into a mash for the first two weeks because dry crumble and a duckling's bill is a slow, messy combination.
Growers (3 weeks to laying age)
Drop to a 15 to 17% protein grower so she doesn't grow so fast her legs can't keep up. Pekins are meat-breed ducks that grow like weeds. Too much protein too early gives you "angel wing," where the wing feathers twist outward. It's not painful but it's permanent, and it's avoidable.
Adults
We feed Purina Flock Raiser because it's non-medicated, 20% protein, and Lady Peck eats it too, so I buy one bag. If your duck is laying, she needs calcium, but not mixed into the feed; offer oyster shell on the side and she'll take what she needs.
Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles
Non-medicated, works for ducks and chickens together. Dabodabo approves loudly.
Check price on AmazonThe niacin thing nobody warns you about
This is the part I care about most, pharmacist hat on. Ducks need roughly two to three times the niacin (vitamin B3) that chickens do. Chicken feed is formulated for chickens. A duck on plain chicken feed can develop leg weakness, bowed legs, or trouble standing, especially as a fast-growing duckling.
The fix is cheap: brewer's yeast. A tablespoon per cup of feed for ducklings, a spoonful over the bowl for adults. We just sprinkle it on the top and Dabodabo doesn't notice. Some people use niacin tablets in the water; I don't, because dosing water is unreliable when the water is also a swimming pool.
Brewer's Yeast Supplement for Ducks
Ducks need more niacin than chickens. A spoonful over feed does it.
Check price on AmazonWatch for: a duckling that sits a lot, walks with a wobble, or has legs splaying outward. That's a niacin shortfall until proven otherwise. Add brewer's yeast and it usually reverses within a week or two if caught early.
Grit and oyster shell: two different things
Ducks have no teeth. They swallow small stones that sit in the gizzard and grind food. If your duck free-ranges on dirt, she'll find her own. If she's on grass or in a run, put a dish of poultry grit out. Oyster shell is different: it's calcium for egg shells. Offer both, separately, free-choice, and let her decide.
Treats Dabodabo goes wild for (in order)
- Peas. Frozen, straight from the bag, dumped in the pool. She dives for them. This is the single best piece of content we've ever filmed.
- Dried mealworms. The sound of the bag opening summons every animal in the yard including the squirrel.
- Leafy greens. Romaine, kale, chopped, floated in water. She shreds them.
- Cucumber, zucchini, melon. Watery, cool, great in summer.
- Cooked oats or rice. Small amounts, plain.
- Scrambled egg. Odd, but ducks love it and it's good protein during a molt.
Rule of thumb: treats are 10% of the diet, tops. A duck full of peas won't eat her feed, and the feed is where the vitamins are.
Dried Mealworms
The sound of the bag opening is the loudest thing in our yard.
Check price on AmazonFoods to keep away from your duck
- Bread. Empty calories. It fills them up without nourishing them and it's linked to angel wing. Park ducks are fed bread; your duck deserves better.
- Avocado. Toxic to birds.
- Chocolate, caffeine, alcohol. Obviously, but people ask.
- Onions and garlic in quantity.
- Raw dried beans. Contain a toxin; cooked beans are fine.
- Anything moldy. Ducks are not garbage disposals. Mold toxins hit birds hard.
- Salty snacks. Chips, salted nuts, popcorn with butter. Their kidneys can't handle it.
- Citrus in large amounts; it can interfere with calcium absorption.
- Spinach daily; same calcium issue. Occasional is fine.
Water is part of feeding
Ducks eat by scooping food and then dunking their bill to rinse and swallow. They also need to submerge their whole head to keep their eyes and nostrils clean. A chicken waterer with nipples or a shallow trough doesn't work. Dabodabo has a deep-bowl waterer by the feed and a kiddie pool for everything else.
No-Spill Poultry Waterer (deep enough for a duck bill)
Ducks must dunk their whole bill. Chicken nipple waterers don't cut it.
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Hard Plastic Kiddie Pool
Cheaper than a pond, easier to dump. Dabodabo's personal spa.
Check price on AmazonKeep the feed a few feet from the water or she'll carry mouthfuls back and forth and turn the water into porridge by lunchtime. She'll do it anyway, but distance helps.
How much does a Pekin eat per day?
Dabodabo eats somewhere around 6 to 7 ounces of feed a day as an adult, more when it's cold, less in summer when she's grazing. I don't measure it out; I fill the feeder in the morning and again at dusk and watch her body condition. A Pekin should feel solid but you should be able to feel the keel bone under the breast without pressing hard.
Our daily feeding routine
| Time | What | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00 a.m. | Fill feeder with Flock Raiser, sprinkle brewer's yeast | Refresh waterer; dump and refill pool |
| Midday | Handful of greens or peas in the pool | This is when we film |
| Afternoon | Free-range on grass if we're home | She grazes bugs, grass, whatever the chickens left |
| Dusk | Top off feeder, check grit and oyster shell dishes | Lock up; count heads |
Seasonal notes
In winter, scratch grains at dusk give her something slow to digest overnight and keep her warm. In summer, more water, more watery treats, and shade. In molt (late summer for us), bump protein with mealworms or scrambled egg; growing feathers is expensive work.
Frequently asked questions
Can Pekin ducks eat chicken feed?
Adult ducks can eat non-medicated chicken layer or all-flock feed as a base, but they need extra niacin. Add brewer's yeast to the feed. Avoid medicated chick starter for ducklings.
Do ducks need niacin?
Yes. Ducks need about two to three times as much niacin as chickens. Without it, ducklings can develop leg weakness and bowed legs. Brewer's yeast sprinkled on feed is the easiest fix.
Is bread bad for ducks?
Bread is junk food for ducks. It fills them up without nutrients and is linked to wing deformities in growing birds. Peas, greens and mealworms are better treats.
How much water does a duck need?
Enough to submerge her entire head. Ducks must dunk their bills to eat safely and clean their eyes and nostrils. A deep bowl plus a kiddie pool covers it.
What treats can I give my Pekin duck?
Peas, chopped greens, cucumber, melon, dried mealworms, cooked oats and scrambled egg, all in small amounts. Keep treats under 10% of the diet.
Watch it in action: most of the gear in this guide shows up in our videos. Head to the channel and search the pet's name.
Shop this guide
Purina Flock Raiser Crumbles
Non-medicated, works for ducks and chickens together. Dabodabo approves loudly.
Check price on AmazonBrewer's Yeast Supplement for Ducks
Ducks need more niacin than chickens. A spoonful over feed does it.
Check price on AmazonHard Plastic Kiddie Pool
Cheaper than a pond, easier to dump. Dabodabo's personal spa.
Check price on Amazon
