You may be wondering if you can feed your duck avocados or citrus fruits. Although these are healthy for humans, they are toxic to birds. If a bird eats them, they may experience digestive problems and heart failure. Other things to avoid are citrus fruits, avocados, and iceberg lettuce. Ducks should not become reliant on one type of food for survival. Instead, choose a specialized duck food made specifically for waterfowl. These foods float and are easy for your duck to find.
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Avoiding bread
Unless you have a certified duck-friendly facility, you should avoid feeding bread to your ducks. Bread is a highly processed food with little nutritional value. Bread may cause health problems in ducks and even shorten their lifespan. Additionally, it can cause problems for your ducks’ health if you feed them too much. Moreover, bread may contain mold, which can cause serious upper respiratory problems in ducks.
Avoiding citrus fruits
Although many vegetables and fruits are fine to feed your ducks, you should avoid citrus fruits. While oranges may be okay in small amounts, citrus contains the toxin persin, which interferes with the absorption of calcium. This could lead to bone disorders or egg defects. Additionally, citrus can cause digestive problems and gastric upset in your ducks. Fortunately, there are several safe foods for ducks to eat, including fresh vegetables and fruits.
Avoiding avocados
Although the avocado is one of the world’s most delicious fruits, it’s actually quite poisonous to ducks. The fruit contains high levels of the toxin persin, which can cause respiratory distress and even death. Ducks shouldn’t be given avocados unless they are on a special diet. The following list contains other foods ducks should not eat, as well as other food items they should never feed to their ducks.
Avoiding iceberg lettuce
If you want to provide your duck with a nutritious diet, avoid giving your bird iceberg lettuce. It is highly likely that they will become dehydrated because it is largely composed of water. Additionally, iceberg lettuce has very little nutritional value, so it can be toxic for your duck. Other plants, such as romaine lettuce and butter lettuce, are better choices. In the summer months, however, iceberg lettuce is a great choice for your duck, as the iceberg lettuce will not cause digestive upset.
Avoiding large seeds
While ducks love a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, they shouldn’t be given large seeds. The pits of stone fruit, including apples, contain trace amounts of cyanide, which is toxic to birds. While ducks will happily eat chopped apples, make sure to remove the seeds. Other fruits and vegetables suitable for ducks include cucumbers, peas, broccoli, corn, and squash. Root vegetables are also delicious and nutritious, but avoid feeding them raw.
Avoiding weeds
While you should avoid weeds when choosing duck food, you should also make sure your garden is free of weeds. Ducks naturally gravitate towards weeds, so avoid putting them on your garden’s lawn. You can also add a few fresh veggies and other bugs to your duck’s diet. Wild greens like lettuce and spinach are great for your ducks, and they will even eat insects such as crickets. Black oil sunflower seeds are another great choice.
Avoiding flowers
It may sound counter-intuitive, but there are some plants and flowers that are toxic to ducks. These plants are often grown in ponds or garden beds, and you should avoid feeding them these plant parts. Ducks do not chew their food, so they have difficulty digesting large seeds and nuts, and can choke on them. Many plants are toxic to ducks, including honeysuckle, pokeweed, boxwood, lilies of the valley, clematis, and larkspur.
