What exactly do Ducks eat?

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TLDR
It’s best to give your duck a stable consistent diet of duck feed (don’t forget to make sure it has niacin to avoid niacin deficiency) and complimentary fruit & vegetables when available.

Finding a diet for your duck can be really confusing as a first time duck owner and beg you to ask the question… What exactly do Ducks eat? The feeding of your pet duck is an essential part of duck care because it keeps your feathered friend healthy and happy in general. Due to their omnivorous nature, ducks consume a wide variety of foods. Providing your pet duck with a balanced, varied diet that satisfies all of their nutritional needs is the key to a healthy diet.

It’s important to note that ducks spend a lot of their time in the water in the wild. Therefore they like snacking on algae, water greens, small fish and other aquatic delights.

A high-quality duck feed should be one of the staples in your pet duck’s diet. This kind of food is specifically formulated to offer all the vitamins, fats, and proteins that ducks require to stay healthy. It’s crucial to pick a feed that is suitable for your duck’s size and age. A starter feed for ducklings, a grower feed for ducks that are growing, and a layer feed for ducks that are laying eggs are a few examples.

It’s crucial to give your pet duck a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables in addition to duck feed. Leafy greens like lettuce and spinach, as well as fruits like berries, apples, and grapes, are all favourites of ducks. These foods give ducks the essential vitamins and minerals they require to stay healthy.

Another thing ducks do in the wild is forage and rest in long grass. Long grass acts as a shelter from predators and the weather as ducks are mostly ground dwellers (not like chickens that like to rest up high). They will find bugs and insects to eat with the grass.

A source of protein like worms, mealworms, or crickets is a crucial addition to your duck’s diet. Ducks require protein to support healthy muscle growth, feather maintenance, and egg production.

Aside from asking what exactly do ducks eat – It’s also crucial to always have clean, fresh water available for your pet duck to drink. To stay hydrated and for their general health and wellbeing, ducks require a lot of water.

Finally, it’s important to restrict or stay away from foods like processed foods, chocolate, and avocados that may be harmful to ducks. Avoiding these foods can prevent health issues from developing.

Overall, it’s crucial to provide your pet duck with a balanced and varied diet in order to keep them healthy and happy.

One parting point – don’t forget to look into Niacin. Ducks can easily get deficient in it. It can come in the form of adding some Brewer’s Yeast to their food or peas in their water, which they love and also seconds as a fun game for them to find and eat them!

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  1. Thanks so much! My duck hadn’t been eating and I was really starting to worry about him but knowing they are opportunistic eaters (random eaters) puts my mind at ease 😊

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