Do you have ducks? That’s great! Then, you should care for these birds so that they are safe and healthy. The feathered member of your family may fall sick or get injured at some point in time. As a duck parent, it is your responsibility that they receive the best care and attention under you. The best treatment, of course, is the prevention of diseases. It is always wise to keep your pet ducks healthy and safe from injuries than treating them after an illness.
What you feed to your pet ducks have an impact on their health. According to an article published on bbc, feeding bread to ducks not only takes a toll on their health but also affects the entire ecosystem adversely. For your better understanding, here are some of the best tips to prevent duck diseases and injuries:
Ensure a healthy diet
As water birds, ducks have unique dietary requirements than other water animals. You can feed them chicken feed base, but you should add some prescribed medications such as Niacin, which is vitamin B3 to their food. Though it is wiser to feed ducks what the vets recommend or food that is made for these water animals. You will also need to feed ducks based on their life stages and gender. For example, if you have ducklings, feed them high protein-based food for a couple of weeks. After three weeks, bring down the protein level and feed oats along with the protein-based food.
Ensure they swim in C
When it comes to chickens, they love dust bath whereas ducks prefer water baths. It helps these beautiful birds to grow healthy feathers, develop good hygiene, and prevent the occurrence of mites. Therefore, if you have pet ducks, make sure that they swim in an annual source of clean, running water. It will make a big difference to the bird’s health. If they develop some diseases, make sure you shop Elisa duck kits to vaccinate and treat the birds. You will love healthy, playful ducks swimming in your home’s water body or playing in the backyard. If you notice that the pond has dirty water, arrange to clean the water immediately. Swimming in dirty water will make your duck sick. If you are not sure, read books, magazines, and online websites how to treat dirty pond water.
Ensure there is a smooth foraging zone
Ducks walk in a clumsy manner with big flippers. Therefore, provide them with a smooth foraging area sans any coarse granite, rough concrete, and thick, chopped mulch. These materials will increase the possibilities of injuring, especially the foot. Make sure the foraging zone has finely ground mulch, straw, and shredded leaves to cover the ground. Avoid using mud as that would invite anaerobic bacteria and unwanted parasites. Prepare the foraging area in advance so that your ducks can walk and play safely without being injured. Read more about preparing the foraging area if you are new to it.
Conclusion
Now that you know about these tips, it will become easy for you to take care of your ducks, thus keeping them healthy and free from injuries.
Author Bio: Karen is a Veterinary Expert. She loves to share her tips with friends. She manages Animal Health Seminars to aware the people.