Simplified list on what can ducks eat?
Not sure on what ducks can eat safely?
Whether you’re wondering should you feed ducks at a pond or you’re feeding your own ducks on your homestead, knowing what’s safe for them is so important.
First thing to know is that ducks are scavengers. Like chickens, they love to forage and hunt for wild things. If left out in the yard, they will search for weeds, berries, worms, insects, even little animals like frogs, tadpoles, and slugs.
However, depending on what you are raising your ducks for you’ll want to be supplementing with duck feed.
Let’s get right into it.
What do you feed baby ducks?
If you just brought home baby ducklings, then you’ll want to make sure you’re feeding those babies something easy for them to digest.
When it comes to babies, you’ll want to keep it simple. I always pick up a pre formulated duckling starter crumble from my local feed store.
It’s important to remember that you purchase the ”crumble” size food. The ducklings will need something small grained to easily swallow and process.
Be hesitant at first to offer your ducklings treats, as their digestive system is fragile.
What do ducks eat for food? egg laying hens
Now that your ducks are grown, you’ll want to consider the demand on their bodies for producing eggs. Adult laying hens need to have the right balance of vitamins and minerals in their diet to keep them healthy and give you healthy, nugrious eggs.
I supplement my hens with a pre formulated layer pellet mix. This mix has the perfect amount of calcium carbonate, a mineral easily digestible to aid in the hard shell of eggs.
On top of that, it’s important to me that my ducks get a well rounded diet. In the wild ducks are not eating pre packaged pellets all day, they are foraging and eating off the land. I want my ducks to experience the same.
Let’s get more into what ducks can eat.
Want some more information on the difference between chicken eggs and duck eggs? Check out one of my earlier articles here.
What vegetables can ducks eat?
So many is the answer!
A wide range of vegetables is definitely what ducks can eat. Like I mentioned above, ducks are foragers.
Instead of throwing out your kitchen scraps throw them out in the duck coop for them to pick at. Ducks love:
Carrots
Cucumbers
Radish leaves
Lettuce
Broccoli
Brussels sprouts
Peas
Corn – cracked into small pieces or soft (thawed)
Kale – my ducks favorite
Although there are many vegetables ducks can eat, it’s important to mention some that you should be very very cautious of.
Vegetables that should not be fed to your ducks are
Rhubarb – highly toxic
Underripe tomatoes – toxic (nightshade)
Citrus- of any kind
Avocados – toxic
Dairy- toxic
Eggplant – toxic similar to tomatoes
Onions- toxic
Bread/crackers- hard to digest
What fruits can my ducks eat?
Pretty much most fruits except citrus are good choices. Some favorites however are
Melons
Bananas
Berries
Grapes- halved or quartered to prevent choking
Apples- not the core of seeds (toxic)
Stone fruits
Special note of stone fruits. Ducks are not able to chew, they swallow. Be mindful that if you’re feeding your ducks stone fruits as treats, remove the pit so they don’t accidentally choke.
Other great supplements are herbs. For the health of your birds it can be beneficial to sprinkle in dried herbs into their pellets. Rosemary, thyme, lemon balm, mint and lavender are all great choices.
It’s also common to hard boil eggs for them to snack on. Cut them up into smaller pieces so they can enjoy a high protein meal.
What to feed ducks overview
When it comes to what to feed ducks, simply trust your instinct and be mindful of what you are offering. Your ducks if left to free roam will use their instincts to forage around the grass and pick up stuff they are interested in. If you let your ducks in your vegetable garden be mindful of tomatoes on the ground or your rhubarb plant at duck level.
Giving your ducks a well balanced diet will pay off so much in the end by rewarding you with a healthy flock of ducks. Giving them the chance to eat what they do naturally in the wild will produce healthier more nutrient dense eggs or better meat if that’s what you use them for.
I love watching Gold Shaw farm on YouTube. He has such great informative and funny information in regards to duck keeping. I highly recommend!
Plus your ducks will love you for bringing them treats!
