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What Do Ducks Eat? A Feeding Guide To Raising Them

Whether you like mallards in your pond or pet ducks as companions, raising them can be rewarding. These birds can deliver a steady supply of fresh eggs and fertilizer for your garden while acting as a natural pest control. However, you must give them a proper diet to keep them quacking away, happy and healthy.

What exactly do ducks eat, and why is it so important to feed them right? At Shoppers Supply, we have all the answers to your concerns, as well as the livestock and agricultural supplies you need.

Why They Need a Balanced Diet

Ducks are generally waterfowl omnivores, which means they naturally eat plants, insects, and grains. Understanding their nutritional requirements is crucial for the following reasons:

1. They Are Not Picky Eaters: If there is something within their reach, they will likely eat it. This lack of pickiness can seem like a blessing, but it also means they can ingest harmful material from time to time.
2. They Digest Quickly: Ducks have a fast metabolism, demanding sustenance for their energy levels and growth.
3. Niacin Is Vital to Bone Development: Compared to chickens, ducks are more robust and must have higher levels of niacin for correct bone growth.
4. Too Much Protein Causes Health Issues: Protein is essential to a duck’s diet, but too much can result in health problems, such as physical deformities like angel wings.
5. Lack of Calcium Can Lead to Poor Eggshell Quality: Calcium intake is a top priority if you raise chickens or ducks for egg production. Without enough calcium, eggshells can become thin, fragile, or pitted.
6. Ducks Are Prone to Weight Gain: Overweight ducks are at risk of developing heart and liver diseases and joint pains.

What Ducks Should NOT Eat

Let us start with dangerous foods for your wild or pet ducks. Here is everything you should eliminate from your to-buy list:

1. Bread: This “junk food” for waterfowl provides little to no nutritional value and fills them up, leaving no room for what they actually need.
2. Spinach: This leafy green contains oxalic acid, which interferes with calcium absorption.
3. Onions: Onions have sulfur compounds that can cause anemia.
4. White Potatoes: White potatoes contain different toxins that may bring health concerns.
5. Raw Beans: Uncooked or undercooked beans have a highly toxic natural insecticide.
6. Eggplants: These vegetables fall under the nightshade category, which involves solanine and other alkaloids.
7. Fruit Pits and Seeds: The pits and seeds of certain fruits release cyanide when broken down in the digestive system.
8. Citrus: Citrus fruits are acidic and can affect calcium absorption.
9. Tomatoes: Like eggplants, tomatoes belong to the nightshade family and have trace amounts of solanine.
10. Avocado: Avocado contains persin, a natural fungicidal toxin that threatens many birds, including ducks.

The Right Diet for Ducks

What ducks eat in the wild is not exactly what they eat in captivity. In their natural habitat, they forage. As such, with you as their caregivers, it is your responsibility to feed them right. Here is everything your shopping list should include.

Duckling and Starter or Grower Feeds

For ducklings, proper niacin and protein intake are critical. Duckling starter feeds are specially formulated with the right balance of both.

As ducklings grow, gradually transition them to grower feeds that support their development. Find high-quality feeds in Shoppers Supply farm stores in Chandler, Gilbert and Apache Junction!

A Word on Feeds for Chickens and Ducks

Ducklings do not need the same level of protection from parasites as chicks do. Serving chick feed instead of duckling feed can result in over medication due to higher levels of antibiotics and other additives. There are unmedicated options, but duckling-specific feeds are always the safest option.

As for adult ducks, you may give them chicken feed, but supplement it with brewer’s yeast or another niacin source.

Oyster Shells

Oyster shells are a common supplement for egg-laying ducks. Offer them on the side to keep their calcium levels up and support strong eggshells.

Greens

Scatter unlimited fresh greens like grass, weeds, and kale in the water or around their pen for nutrition and enrichment. It’s also a good idea to have other vegetables like peas, squash, corn, and cucumber around.

Fruits

Serve apples, cherries, melons, peaches, and berries, but remove the seeds or pits first. These fruits are special snacks that ducks can enjoy.

Mealworms and Earthworms

For a natural protein, get mealworms and earthworms. Raise them or buy them from our pet store in Gilbert! Eating worms also mimics birds’ natural foraging behavior. Other good sources of protein are small or chopped fish and meat.

Grains

Wheat, barley, and oats are great choices because they are high in fiber and nutrients that support digestion. You can also offer cooked or uncooked rice as a treat.

Nuts and Seeds

Ducks love peanuts, sunflower seeds, and almonds, but they should be small and not too hard. Chop or crush them into pieces so your white ducks do not choke.

Bird Seed

Mix millet, cracked corn, or sunflower seeds for diversity in your pet ducks’ diet. Various bird seeds are available at Shoppers Supply animal feed stores.

Grit

Ducks do not have teeth, they have beaks so they rely on grit. Small stones or sand help them grind up and digest food, avoiding issues like impaction. Wild ducks that roam freely typically find their own grit, while those confined to a pen require weekly supplemental grit.

The Right Feeding Schedule

How often you feed your ducks is as important as what you feed them. Here is a schedule that promotes their health and well-being.

Ducklings and Growing Ducks

You should have food for ducklings available at all times. If you prefer to set specific meal times as they grow, go for at least twice a day. These animals are messy eaters; throw out leftovers at the end of the day to prevent mold.

Domestic

An adult domestic duck will eat around four to seven ounces of feed daily, so feed accordingly. They should always have access to fresh water, too. Treats should only be 10% of their overall diet to avoid weight gain.

Free-Ranging Backyard

If your ducks are free-ranging, serve a consistent food source every day, even if they do not finish it. In the winter, however, increase the amount of food you give since foraging options are limited.

Visit Shoppers Supply Now

Are you ready for some happy and healthy waddling friends? Head to any Shoppers Supply farm and ranch feed store and get the best work boots, western clothing and pet supplies for your waterfowl!