A healthy diet should include a variety of food, such as vegetables, fruits, grains and meat/fish.
Treat them with soft mashed bananas, peaches or applesauce as well as earthworms or mealworms; however, make sure these constitute no more than 10% of their overall diet.
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Vegetables
Ducks enjoy vegetables and can easily consume a wide range of them. Common choices include lettuce, cucumbers, corn and peas.
Fruits can also be fed to your ducks, but be sure to cut them up into bite-size pieces so they can eat them quickly and digest them properly. Avoid feeding ripened fruit to your ducks as this won’t provide them with essential vitamins and nutrients.
Vegetables can be an excellent addition to your pet duck’s diet, providing essential vitamins and minerals they require. But it’s important to select the right kinds of vegetables for maximum benefit.
Vegetables that are too long to chew can be challenging for ducks to consume and may lead to health issues like impacted crops or poor growth in young ducklings. Therefore, it’s best to slice all vegetables into bite-size pieces before giving them to your flock.
Fruits
Ducks can enjoy a variety of fruits, such as apples and oranges. However, these should be cut up into smaller pieces so they’re easily digestible.
Certain fruit parts are toxic for ducks, such as the pits of citrus fruits (like lemons and grapefruits), avocados, and apricots. Be sure to remove these fruits’ pits and seeds before feeding them to your ducks.
Other fruits suitable for ducks include bananas, watermelon and cantaloupe. These contain high levels of Vitamin A which is crucial for your pet duck’s wellbeing.
Ducks can eat a variety of vegetables, such as peas, beans, broccoli and cabbage. Vegetables are an important part of their diet because they provide natural sources of protein and vitamins for ducks.
Grains
When it comes to pet ducks, only feed them whole grains that are free from salt. Grains with high amounts of salt will make your ducks very ill and may even lead to death.
Wheat is the most popular grain for ducks, but oats can also be fed to your pet ducks. Oats provide them with energy as well as protein and calcium.
Additionally, provide your ducks with a regular supply of shell grit to help them grind their food. You can purchase baby duckling grit that consists of small, coarse rocks – similar to parakeet grit.
Feed your adult ducks a high quality layer or breeder diet that contains at least 15% protein, to guarantee strong shelled eggs. In addition, supplement this commercial food with fresh vegetables and fruit such as watermelon.
Treats
Treats can be an enjoyable way to enhance life for your ducks. However, as with chickens, only feed treats in limited amounts so that they do not become dependent on one food source.
Ducks typically feed on a variety of fresh, raw and cooked fruits and vegetables. Furthermore, they enjoy various meats, fish and grains.
Fruits make great treats for your pet ducks, but only as bite-sized treats. Make sure they’re soaked in water beforehand so they can digest them easily.
Vegetables and herbs provide healthy snacks. Popular choices include cucumbers, peas, squash, broccoli and corn.
Leafy greens are a nutritious choice for your ducks, though be sure to limit how much spinach they get as it interferes with calcium absorption and may result in egg binding or soft-shelled eggs. Iceberg lettuce should also be avoided as it provides little nutritional value and can lead to diarrhea if given in large amounts; opt instead for romaine, boy choy or cabbage which contain more essential vitamins and minerals.
