Apples are a great asset in both your and your duck’s diet. While it provides lots of nutrients, it also gives a sweet taste and cooling experience—all in one small package.
Ducks can eat apples, and it’s good for them. Apples provide ducks with Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin C. However, apples should be considered as a treat cut in smaller pieces and not be given too often due to their high sugar content.
Ducks can eat everything except the seeds from the apples, as long as it is provided in smaller pieces that fit the duck’s mouth. Ducks will ignore larger pieces since it otherwise will risk them suffocate.
Can ducks eat apples?
Ducks can eat any apple. Ducks don’t seem to care which color of the apple or which sort. Ducks prefer the apple cut up in tiny pieces but also mashed. It would be best if you didn’t offer the seeds since that would hurt their stomachs. Apples contain a lot of antioxidants and will benefit the duck’s health. However, there are almost 15g of sugar in a whole apple. It’s important to give ducks apples as a treat, in moderation and not too often.
Can ducklings eat apples?
Ducklings can as ducks eat apples. It’s more important with portion control. My ducks usually get half an apple each per week. Ducklings don’t require as many calories and can share an apple of fours. Ducklings haven’t developed a noticeable jaw strength yet and offering them mashed apples would be good.
Do ducks like apples?
Ducks love to eat apples. Apples provide a sweet taste and good texture, which ducks seem to like. The ducks in my backyard seem to have different opinions about how they like their apples served. Some of them prefer them cut into cubes and other mashed.
Ducks can eat most fruits but some are dangeorus for them. Check out what fruits you and can not feed ducks with.
Are apples safe for ducks?
Apples are safe for ducks. There are some things you will need to be aware of when feeding apples to ducks.
1. The skin isn’t getting mixed
Often when I blend apples to make apple sauce, my mixer has problems with the peel of the apples. The apples are being mushy, but the skin stays intact and avoids the sharp blades as Neo dodges bullets. The skin can be a risk for ducks to eat since it can clog their throat, causing them to suffocate. Ensure there aren’t any big peels left when you have mixed. If there are, you can cut them into smaller ones.
2. Don’t feed the ducks apple seeds
One apple seed won’t kill a duck. However, apple seeds in larger quantities may cause them harm and be lethal for them. Apple seeds contain amygdalin. Amygdalin releases the deadly chemical cyanide when it’s getting chewed or digested. Although one or two seeds won’t kill your duck, you should make an effort to remove all seeds every time.
3. Feeding ducks apples too often may lead to obesity
Apples are very nutritious and provide a lot of health benefits. However, the amount of sugar in apples is quite high. A medium-sized apple contains almost 15 grams of sugar. Eating too many apples may cause a calorie surplus which stores the extra calories as fat and will turn the ducks obese.
4. Feeding apples too much may lead to malnourishment
Sure, apples contain a lot of nutrients the duck need. There are also some things that apples lack, which ducks require in their diet. Niacin (Vitamin B3) is the most important vitamin for birds. 100g of apples only contain 0.13mg of Niacin. That’s far from the daily recommended amount of 10mg for ducks.
If you fill the duck belly with apples, they will feel full and not forage for other food sources, causing them malnourishment. It would be much better if you mixed apples with their regular diet instead. I feed my ducks pellets and mix apple cubes with the pellets. Sometimes I even mix with potatoes.
5. Size is important
The most important security measure to take is to feed the ducks small pieces of apples. Ducks don’t chew their food but instead swallow all food whole. All foods may be a choking hazard unless you feed them smaller pieces. I try to cut the apples into squares and a maximum of 1cm per side. (About half an inch).
Can ducks eat apple skin?
Ducks can eat apple skin and benefit from all the nutrients. The skins are actually what hold most of the nutrients and vitamins. If you plan to serve the skins alone, without the apple, ensure the peel is cut into smaller pieces. Otherwise, it might get stuck in their throat.
Can ducks eat the brown part of the apple?
Brown apples are safe for ducks to eat. The only bad thing about apples which turned brown is the aesthetics. You will, of course, need to take the same safety measures as with regular apples.
Ducks can also eat herbs. They can eat almost every herb that exists. But there are one that might surprise you. Check out which herbs ducks can’t eat here.
Can ducks eat apple seeds?
Ducks shouldn’t eat the apple seed. When the duck digest the seeds, the Amygdalin inside the seeds releases the toxic chemical Cyanide. However, one or two seeds won’t kill your duck, but they may be lethal for them if given often. If you believe your ducks have consumed a higher amount of apple seeds, contact your veterinarian and try to make the duck drink more water than regular.
How often should ducks eat apples?
Fruits should be in the duck’s daily diet. Due to the high sugar amount in apples, it would be best not to serve apples more than once a week. Apples should be categorized as a treat and not a staple food. Staple food should be pellets. It is fine to mix the pellets with apples that day to stir things up.
Did you know ducks are omnivores and can eat almost anything? There are however some vegetables they can’t eat. Find out which vegetables ducks can’t eat here.
How many apples should I give my ducks?
Apples contain a lot of sugar and, therefore, more calories. Apples also take up valuable space in the duck stomach, which should be considered when figuring out how many apples you should give. I try to give every duck half of a medium-sized apple (3 inches in diameter) each week. That way, they will receive around 30 calories and still get some vitamins and minerals and a small treat without filling their stomachs. That way, they will still forage for other foods, keep busy, and not risk becoming obese.
Best way to serve apples to ducks
There are multiple ways you can offer ducks some delicious apples. My favorites are simple cubes, applesauce, and chips.
1. Cut the apple into small cubes
This is the easiest and quickest way to add apples to your duck’s diet. Try to chop up the apples into squares, not bigger than regular dice. Try to aim for 1cm of each side. (Roughly half an inch).
You can either throw them into a bucket of water and letting the ducks enjoy them that way, or you can throw them out in your yard, forcing the ducks to walk around looking for them. However, the second one might welcome pests to your yard.
I often add the small cubes to their regular pellets diet. That way, every piece of apple they find is a surprise.
2. Make applesauce for ducks
Applesauce can be a delicious treat to have at home. However, it would be best if you didn’t give storebought applesauce to your ducks. Applesauce you buy from the store contains a lot of sugars and preservatives. Instead, it’s much better to make your own sauce. And it’s super easy.
- Peel the apples and remove the stem and core.
- Put the peeled apples in water so they don’t darken.
- Put the apples in a pot and simmer on low heat. Too much heat will burn them.
- Stir them around and try piercing them with a needle. The same way to test if potatoes are done.
- Mash the apples with a ladle or mash them in a food processor. Fill the bowl halfway and mix in a couple of rounds so that the puree does not overflow.
- Pour the sauce into jars and let them cool down. Put on the lid when they are cooled off.
- Done!
It’s important not to add any extra sugar if you are planning to feed ducks with it. If you want to do apple sauce for yourself, add 40 grams of sugar in step 4.
3. Make apple chips
Making chips for you and your ducks isn’t that time-consuming, you may think it is. It is just as simple as making your own potato chips for ducks.
How to make apple chips for ducks
- Preheat the oven to 150° C or 302° F.
- While the oven heats up, you can slice the apples thin using a cheese slicer.
- Put the slices on a baking sheet on a plate.
- Put them into the oven for 20 minutes.
- Take them out and flip them, and have in the oven for another 10 minutes.
- Done!
If you make them for yourself, you add oils, salt, and spices during step 5.
Health benefits from feeding apples to ducks?
Apples contain Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin C.
They are among the most important vitamins and minerals in a duck’s diet. However, apples don’t provide all needed vitamins and minerals but only a small bit of the daily recommended intake. Ducks need a variety of different foods each day to complement each other.
Calcium in apples for ducks
Calcium are important for ducks since it strengthens the bones in the skeleton. Ducks use their legs more than other birds and require more Calcium that way.
Iron in apples for ducks
Iron creates hemoglobin in the body which transports oxygen to different parts of the body.
Magnesium in apples for ducks
Magnesium plays an important role in the body. It helps the nerve system, muscles, and energy production.
Potassium in apples for ducks
Potassium helps against high blood pressure and water retention. It also helps keep the fluids balanced.
Vitamin C in apples for ducks
Vitamin C works as an antioxidant keeping the duck healthy. It helps to repair and grow body tissues.
Since ducks are omnivores they can eat nuts, but also other animal fodders lika rabbits for exapmple. I wrote resource to help you know what nuts and fodders duck and can not eat.
Conclusion
Ducks can eat apples in most shapes and forms. They do love the taste of apples, but only if they are able to get it into their mouth. Too big chunk of an apple will be rejected.
It’s important to feed ducks smaller pieces of apples since they otherwise easily could choke.
You can feed ducks the apple skin, however it’s important you cut it into smaller pieces to decrease risk of the duck choking.
Both duck and ducklings can eat apples. Be aware, ducklings shouldn’t be offered as much apples as ducks. You might want to consider offering ducklings a quarter of an apple and ducks half an apple.
You should avoid offering apple seeds to ducks. Seeds contains Amygdalin which releases Cyanide when being digested. Cyanide is a toxin that can be lethal. However, one or two seeds may not kill your duck. But more or under a longer period of time isn’t good for them.
Ducks can eat the brown part of the apple if they want.
You shouldn’t offer apples as a part of their daily diet, but instead an occasional treat. I give my ducks apples once a week. They get it at the same time they are receiving their pellets.
There are different safe ways to serve apples to ducks:
- Ensure the skin is mixed as well if you are giving them apple sauce and usinga blender. The skin often avoids the blades. You can cut the skins manually into smaller pieces if neccesary.
- Remove the seeds before serving.
- Don’t feed them apples too often. Too much apples can lead to obesity.
- Feeding the ducks too many apples may also lead to malnourishment since they won’t be motivated to forage for other foods if they are full on apples.
- Cut the apples into smaller pieces before serving to avoid them being a choking hazard.
You should aim for a maximum of half an apple per duck. More than that is too much sugar and calories for just one duck.
Ways to feed apples to ducks:
- Small cubes in their regular diet
- As homemade apple sauce
- Homemade apple chips
Apples contains a many beneficial vitamins and minerals. Apples contain Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Potassium, and Vitamin C which all is important in the duck’s diet.