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Enter your values and press Calculate.
Pick the life stage and enter the flock size. The calculator returns feed per bird per day, daily, weekly, and monthly feed for the whole flock, and 50 kg bags per month rounded up. Multiply bags by your local bag price for a feed cost estimate. These are planning estimates, not a balanced ration: breed, foraging, temperature, and laying rate all move the real figure.
How much feed do ducks eat per day? It depends on age and purpose, and this calculator uses one rate per stage so the maths stays visible: duckling 75 g, grower 115 g, layer 160 g, and meat adult 185 g per bird per day. The formula is daily feed in kg equals flock size times grams per bird per day divided by 1,000.
Worked example: how much feed do 10 ducks eat per day at layer rate? 10 times 160 g is 1,600 g, or 1.6 kg per day, 11.2 kg per week, and 48 kg in 30 days, which is 1 bag of 50 kg. In pounds, 1.6 kg is about 3.5 pounds per day, since 1 kg equals about 2.2 pounds. A second example: 20 layers eat 3.2 kg per day, 22.4 kg per week, and 96 kg in 30 days, which is 2 bags. Duck feed intake in grams per day is the input that matters most, so weigh a day of feed for your own flock if you want a flock-specific rate.
Use this duck feeding chart to pick the stage, and check the protein column against your feed bag, because protein matters as much as quantity.
| Stage | Age guide | Feed per bird per day | Protein guide | | Duckling starter | 0 to 3 weeks | 75 g | 18 to 20 percent | | Grower | 3 to 20 weeks | 115 g | 15 to 16 percent | | Layer | 20 weeks and over, laying | 160 g | 16 to 18 percent | | Meat adult | 20 weeks and over, meat | 185 g | 14 to 16 percent |
Duck feed protein percentage by age falls after the starter phase, except for layers, which need extra protein and calcium for eggs. Duckling feed per week chart figures from one guide run from 0.5 lb per duckling in week 1 to 3.9 lb in week 7, which averages well below the adult rate, so do not feed ducklings at adult rates. A meat duck feed intake formula by age from another tool uses 12 g per day of age up to 12 days, 15 g to 18 days, and 18 g beyond that, multiplied by flock size, which gives a similar total for meat ducks but a different shape across weeks.
Published adult duck rates disagree, and this page shows the range instead of hiding it. One guide puts older ducklings at about 115 g per duck per day and adults at 170 to 200 g. A general poultry reference puts ducks at 150 g per bird per day. A layer guide puts layers at 150 to 170 g per day.
The gap comes from breed, sex, laying status, foraging, and temperature. Ducks on good pasture eat less bought feed, ducks in winter eat more, and laying ducks eat more than non-laying ducks, which is why the same formula can be used for egg-laying ducks only with a stage adjustment, not unchanged. Treat 160 g for layers and 185 g for meat adults as planning midpoints, and adjust from your own weighed totals.
How often should I feed ducks? Most keepers feed twice a day, morning and evening, with feed available through the day for ducklings, which should stay on full feed in the brooder and only move to limited feeding after 8 weeks. Always offer water deep enough to dunk the bill beside feed, because ducks need water to swallow and clean their nostrils, and never feed without water nearby. How much water do ducks need with feed? Plan on up to 2 litres per duck per day for drinking, plus bathing water.
Can I use chicken feed for ducks? For adult ducks, plain chicken layer feed often works for a time, but ducklings need extra niacin, which chicken starter may lack, and medicated chick feed can harm ducklings, so use waterfowl starter for ducklings when you can. Do ducks eat more in winter? Yes, cold weather raises intake, so expect a winter increase and offer extra feed on cold days. Keep treats, including greens and grains, to about 10 percent of the diet, and avoid bread, citrus, chocolate, onion, garlic, and avocado.
About 75 g per duckling, 115 g per grower, 160 g per layer, and 185 g per meat adult per day, as planning rates. Weigh a day of feed for your own flock to refine the rate, because breed, foraging, and temperature change it.
Twice a day for adult ducks, morning and evening, with ducklings on full feed through the day. Keep feeders clean and do not leave wet feed sitting, because it spoils quickly.
For adults, often yes for a time, but ducklings need waterfowl starter with enough niacin, and medicated chick feed can harm ducklings. Check the label for niacin and protein before substituting.
About 18 to 20 percent protein in the first 3 weeks, then 15 to 16 percent as growers. Layers need 16 to 18 percent, and drakes or non-laying adults need about 14 percent.
Yes. Cold weather raises energy needs, so intake rises in winter, especially for ducks without shelter or with open water. Offer extra feed on cold days and keep water unfrozen.
Plan on up to 2 litres of drinking water per duck per day, always beside feed, plus bathing water. Ducks swallow and clean their bills with water, so feed without water nearby is a choking and health risk.
The basic formula works, but use the layer rate, not the meat adult rate, and adjust for laying rate and season. Layers at peak lay eat at the upper end of the range, and non-laying ducks eat less.
Multiply daily feed by 30. For example, 20 layers at 160 g eat 3.2 kg per day, so 96 kg in 30 days, which is 2 bags of 50 kg. Use this calculator for your own flock size and stage.