An adult Khaki Campbell duck eats approximately a third to just under half a pound of feed a day — in kitchen terms, roughly three-quarters to one cup of pellets — with hens in full lay sitting at the top of that range. Khaki Campbells are small, upright, khaki-feathered ducks bred as outstanding layers, and a hen producing an egg most days spends a real share of that ration on the egg itself. Birds with access to good foraging — grass, slugs, and insects across a garden or pasture — will take somewhat less from the feeder, though rarely enough to skip feeding altogether.
Why Layers Eat at the Top of the Range
Egg production is the driver. Each egg exports protein, energy, and a shell's worth of calcium from the hen's body, so a Campbell in lay needs a ration formulated for laying waterfowl or an all-flock feed with calcium offered separately, rather than a maintenance diet meant for idle birds. Drakes and out-of-season hens eat toward the lower end, and pet Campbells kept richly through winter will gain weight they do not need — ducks hide fat under waterproof feathers until you pick them up and feel how heavy the body has become behind the breastbone.
Feed Beside Water, Always
Ducks do not eat the way chickens do. A Campbell washes feed down and clears her nostrils and eyes by dipping her whole head, so drinking water deep enough for head-dipping must sit right beside the feeder whenever feed is available, or she can choke on dry pellets and foul her eyes. That water will become soup within the hour — expected, not a failure — and needs refreshing daily. Scatter-feeding a portion of the ration on grass or in a shallow tray in water encourages natural dabbling and slows dominant birds, but the measured feeder ration remains the reliable core of the day.
Pellets, Niacin, and the Waterfowl Difference
Choose a feed made for waterfowl or ducks where you can, or an all-flock ration; ducklings in particular need a feed whose niacin level suits growing waterfowl, because ducks need more of it than chicks do and deficiency shows as leg weakness in fast-growing youngsters. Adult Campbells on a suitable ration plus forage usually cover their needs without extras. Keep grit available if birds eat whole grains or range widely, and put oyster shell in a separate small dish for laying hens — a hen will take it in the evening exactly when shell-building demands it, while a drake ignores it.
Seasonal Swings in a Small Duck's Appetite
Expect intake to climb in cold weather, when a small duck burns more energy staying warm, and to dip during a broody spell or the annual moult, when laying pauses and feathers are rebuilt. Free-ranging Campbells eat dramatically more of their own diet in spring, when slugs and insects abound, which is exactly when a keeper might wrongly conclude the feeder ration can shrink — forage quality collapses in dry or frozen spells, so the feeder is the insurance that keeps condition steady. Weigh a bird in your hands monthly; your palms notice change before your eyes do through feathers.
Refusal and Other Warning Signs
A Campbell that stops eating, sits fluffed and apart, limps, or shows swollen joints or runny, sealed eyes needs prompt attention from a veterinarian familiar with poultry or waterfowl — ducks decline quietly and then quickly. Check first that drinkers are full and the feed has not gone stale or mouldy in damp weather, the two commonest keeper-side causes of a flock-wide dip. Where several people share duck duties, KinsLe's Care Teams set out the daily ration and water rounds for the Campbells, and each helper confirms a finished round with a timestamp.