Bell peppers are an astonishing vegetable you can add to almost any dish. The limitations you have with bell peppers are pretty low compared to other vegetables. However, not everyone can enjoy the benefits of these colorful vegetables since they are a part of the nightshade family. I did some research and looked up which animals that can eat bell peppers.
Ducks can eat bell peppers but are limited to their color. Ducks can eat small amounts of red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. They should avoid green bell peppers as well as the seeds and top. As bell peppers are part of the nightshade family, they contain solanine which is toxic to ducks.
Red, yellow, and orange bell peppers contain some solanine, making it crucial to feed them in moderation. Solanine can be lethal for them. Solanine can be found in other nightshade vegetables like potatoes, tomatoes, and aubergine.
Can ducks eat bell peppers?
Ducks can eat bell peppers in moderation but only red, yellow, and orange colored. They shouldn’t eat the seeds inside nor the hat. They should also avoid eating too many edible ones since they also contain solanine.
Another reason for giving bell peppers in moderation to ducks is the amount of water inside a pepper (92%). Too much water in a duck’s diet can lead to diarrhea and causing dehydration, which can lead to kidney problems.
There’s more speaking against feeding bell peppers to ducks than what benefits them.
| Nutrient (unit) | Red Bell Pepper | Yellow Bell Pepper |
|---|---|---|
| Weight standard (g) | 100 | 100 |
| Energy (kcal) | 22 | 24 |
| Energy (kJ) | 94 | 98 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 4.1 | 4.3 |
| Fat (g) | 0.23 | 0.15 |
| Protein (g) | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Fiber (g) | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| Water (g) | 93.4 | 93.2 |
| Alcohol (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Ashes (g) | 0.89 | 0.47 |
| Monosaccharides (g) | 4.8 | 4.8 |
| Disaccharides (g) | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Sucrose (g) | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Sugars (g) | 4.9 | 5 |
| Total saturated fatty acids (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Lauric acid C12: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Myristic acid C14: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Stearic acid C18: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Oleic acid C18: 1 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Arachidonic acid C20: 4 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| EPA (C20:5) (g) | 0 | 0 |
| DPA (C22:5) (g) | 0 | 0 |
| DHA (C22:6) (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Tiamin (mg) | 0.02 | 0.03 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0.05 | 0 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 144 | 163 |
| Niacin (mg) | 0.79 | 0.81 |
| Niacin equivalents (NE / mg) | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.24 | 0.22 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Folate (µg) | 56.7 | 41.2 |
| Retinol (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin A (RE/µg) | 39.9 | 16.8 |
| β-Karoten (µg) | 417 | 133 |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 2.55 | 2.13 |
| Vitamin K (µg) | 6.5 | 5 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 14.9 | 16.1 |
| Iodine (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.28 | 0.3 |
| Calcium (mg) | 7.7 | 7.4 |
| Potassium (mg) | 116 | 123 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 7.6 | 8 |
| Sodium (mg) | 0 | 0 |
| Salt (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Selenium (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Zinc (mg) | 0.16 | 0.13 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 |
| Whole grains total (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Waste (shell etc.) (%) | 15 | 15 |
Can ducklings eat bell peppers?
Ducklings shouldn’t eat bell peppers. At least not in their first four weeks. During that time, they need to eat duckling pellets. After that, I wouldn’t suggest you feeding them bell peppers either. Better vegetables for growing ducks like oats, nuts, kale, cabbage, broccoli, and peas should be favored. Make sure they are eating their regular duck pellets for adults.
🥦 Ducks love to eat vegetables and are specially fond of some. Do you know what vegetables ducks love to eat? Hint: One is broccoli.
Do ducks like to eat bell peppers?
Ducks love the taste of bell peppers, as long as they are cut into small pieces. Like humans, they like to eat things that aren’t good for them. A good rule of thumb when feeding bell peppers is moderation. You should give bell peppers with other foods, and they should always be the smallest the food there’s least of. Ducks prefer green peas more, and it would be better to give them more of those instead.
Can ducks eat raw bell peppers?
It doesn’t matter whether if the bell peppers are cooked in terms of feeding ducks. Solanine can be neutralized when being fried with oils. However, ducks shouldn’t eat anything that has been fried in fat. Ducks easily gain weight without being offered french fries. However, ducks can eat raw bell peppers if they are given in moderation, not green, not seed house, not the top hat, and cut into tiny pieces.
🍍 Ducks benefit from eating fruits everyday. Do you know what fruits you can give to ducks? Hint: One is pinapple.
Can ducks eat moldy or rotten bell peppers?
You should never gick ducks or any other animal foods that are either moldy or rotten. Mold is toxic and be lethal and can harm your animal with them only inhaling the spores.
🌿 Herbs is a part of the duck’s natural diet. But do you know what herbs ducks can eat? Hint: One of them is Nutsedge.
How do you cut bell peppers for ducks?
The best way to cut bell peppers for ducks is to ensure they are as small as possible. When I cut bell peppers, I use a vegetable chopper. The pieces come out in a perfect size every time.
Don’t give ducks:
- Green bell peppers
- The seeds inside
- The hat
- Too big pieces
🐹 Did you know that ducks also can eat fodders from other animals? Check out what fodders ducks can eat here. Hint: One is hamster.
Alternatives to bell peppers for ducks
There are numerous vegetables ducks can eat. Instead of feeding ducks bell peppers, you can give them foods with less water content, more energy, are more nutritious, and don’t contain solanine.
Examples of different vegetables ducks love are:
Examples of fruits ducks love to eat:
- Bananas
- Apples
- Watermelon
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Pineapples
- Grapes
- Raisins
- Jackfruits
- Cranberries
- Dates
🥜 You can give ducks nuts from time to time. But there are some nuts you shouldn’t feed ducks. Check out which here. Hint: One of them has shells.
How often should I feed my ducks’ bell peppers?
You can feed your ducks’ bell peppers as often as you want, but it’s not recommended to feed it to them too often. Even though a small amount is fine to give them once in a while, it shouldn’t be more often than once a month.
🥣 Leftovers from last dinner? Check out what human foods you can give ducks here. Hint: One of them is oatmeal.
How many bell peppers can I feed my ducks?
The rare times I feed my ducks’ bell peppers, all six ducks usually share one bell pepper. One large bell pepper weighs around 160 grams which are around 25 grams each. The pepper is chopped using a veggie chopper and served with diarrhea inhibiting foods like oats.
🐸 Not everyone knows that ducks are omnivores. This means they can eat both food that has been planted and been born. Learn what other animals ducks can eat. Hint: One of them are frogs.
Conclusion
Bell peppers are a member of the Nightshade family and should be offered in moderation. Ducks can, in small amounts, eat red, yellow, and orange bell peppers. Green contains the most solanine, which can be lethal for ducks.
You should never feed the seeds inside to the ducks since they contain solanine, as well as the top of the pepper.
Bell peppers are also high in water content which is another red flag. Foods with high water content may cause diarrhea among birds, which may lead to dehydration that can lead to kidney problems.
Ducklings shouldn’t eat bell peppers in their first four weeks of age. During that time, they should only consume duckling pellets specially made for them. Afterward, you might want to consider if you will add bell peppers to their diet. There are a lot of other vegetables ducks can eat which are superior.
Since the risks of feeding bell peppers to ducks are high, I discourage you from giving them any.
