Melons and squashes are the exception to this rule. Remember to cut all fruit and vegetables into small, manageable portions. They need their proteins, grass, grains, and seeds more than they need fruit and vegetables. I recommend no more than 10% of their daily intake should be fruit and vegetables. It is also important to note that fruit and vegetables should never be the only thing you feed your ducks. It is important to know what is safe and what is not safe. In the wild, ducks would just ignore these in your pen, they will ingest anything you put down. Some fruit and vegetables are not healthy for ducks. All fruit and vegetables contain vital vitamins that will help keep your ducks healthy, with strong bones and strong organs. ☑ Feeder fish – guppies, goldfish, minnowsĭucks love a variety of flavors, but the taste is just a part of why you should feed your ducks fresh fruit and vegetables.These are good sources of protein to feed your ducks (dead or alive), and can be added to the pen, pond, feed, or bath: In the wild, they would catch a lot of insects, dig up worms, or even go fishing. Your ducks will also need a lot of proteins daily for healthy bodies. ☑ Tomatoes (I prefer cherry tomatoes, but all ripe tomatoes will work).☑ Melons (you will need to open the melon when it is ripe).This is what you can grow in your yard or pen for good, nutritionally valuable duck food: They only need help with fruit and vegetables these may need to be cooked and should be cut into small, manageable pieces. Remember that whatever they would find in the wild they would not need you to shell, cook, or cut into little soldiers. You can even plant them inside your duck pen for the ducks to forage for themselves. There are many things you can plant for your ducks (some are easier to grow than others). If they have access to the goodies, they will not eat what their bodies need to survive. But these extras should be no more than 10% of the duck’s daily intake.ĭucks eat until they feel full, and then move on. Your local feed store or vet shop will order for you if you cannot find any in your area.Ĭhicken or parrot food work well if you cannot find waterfowl food, but remember to balance this out with plenty of fresh products from the lists below.Īfter they have eaten their crumbled mix, they can be offered a variety of fruit, vegetables, grains, and even cooked pasta. They are also very vulnerable to waterborne diseases therefore, the water and bowls should always be clean.īecause ducks are omnivores, it is important to give them a well-balanced diet of grains, plants, and meat in the form of worms, fish, and insects.īecause it is of the utmost importance to feed your ducks a healthy, balanced diet, you should always offer a duck (or waterfowl) crumbled mix consisting of seeds and pellets. Feeding Your Ducks A Healthy, Balanced Dietīefore I even get into the actual food part of this article, I want to emphasize how important it is that your ducks and ducklings have access to clean, well-aerated water with their food.

Their diets consist of worms, grubs, small fish, seeds, insects, water weeds and grasses, plants, berries, mollusks, and whatever grains, fruit, and vegetables they can find. Without people to feed them, ducks will forage on land and in the water for food. If no food is offered, they will move along and they will ignore that person if they return to the area at a later date. If a new face appears, the ducks will check them out by going closer and waiting to see if these new faces will give them something tasty to eat or not. It is because ducks are very intelligent and associate people’s faces with previous experiences. This is not because they are starving because there is nothing to eat. These wild ducks often come waddling every time a person arrives who they recognize as having fed them before. Many are permanent, all year round, residents at urban parks and dams. Wild ducks are very capable of looking after themselves without human intervention. I am going to give you the knowledge you need to keep your flock healthy all year round. Keep their food as close as possible to what they would eat if they were a wild flock searching for food for themselves. The answer is really not that complicated. Feeding Your Ducks A Healthy, Balanced Diet.

Wild duck feeder