Lettuce is a great way to add greens to your plate without making you feel full. Lettuce adds a different texture than most other foods on the plate and, at the same time, provides a good taste. Most humans enjoy the green ball, but how about animals and birds in particular? Do they like it, and can they eat it? I did and some research and found out.
Ducks can eat lettuce and other similar greens. Lettuce is a pretty high water content and should therefore be offered in moderation. Lettuce contains potassium, vitamin c, vitamin k, magnesium, and iron which are important for the duck’s health.
The high water content in lettuce may cause diarrhea, which leads to dehydration and kidney problems. You can feed the ducks lettuce, as long as you give it in moderation and with other foods. There is diarrhea inhibiting foods like oats, bananas, and tomatoes you can add to the duck’s diet.
Can ducks eat lettuce?
Ducks can eat lettuce and other savory similar greens as long as you give it in moderation, cut it into smaller pieces, and not as a daily staple. It’s important you shred or cut the lettuce into smaller pieces before giving it to your ducks. It’s also strongly recommended you add other foods to the lettuce, so the ducks only fill their stomachs with low caloric foods.
Lettuce is pretty low in calories. In 100 grams, there are only 15 calories. That small amount of calories doesn’t provide much energy, and you must add other foods to it. If you only feed lettuce and fills the duck’s stomach with it, they may not be motivated to forage for other foods and end up malnourished.
When you feed the ducks their daily pellets, you can add some lettuce to add another texture. Foods like oats and tomatoes are excellent for their taste buds and, at the same time, inhibit diarrhea.
Table of nutrients in lettuce
| Nutrient (unit) | Lettuce |
|---|---|
| Weight standard (g) | 100 |
| Energy (kcal) | 14 |
| Energy (kJ) | 61 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 2.5 |
| Fat (g) | 0.12 |
| Protein (g) | 0.81 |
| Fiber (g) | 0 |
| Water (g) | 96.2 |
| Alcohol (g) | 0 |
| Ashes (g) | 0.35 |
| Monosaccharides (g) | 2.1 |
| Disaccharides (g) | 0.1 |
| Sucrose (g) | 0.1 |
| Sugars (g) | 2.2 |
| Total saturated fatty acids (g) | 0.02 |
| Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Lauric acid C12: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Myristic acid C14: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g) | 0.02 |
| Stearic acid C18: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g) | 0 |
| Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0.01 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g) | 0 |
| Oleic acid C18: 1 (g) | 0 |
| Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g) | 0.07 |
| Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g) | 0.02 |
| Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g) | 0.05 |
| Arachidonic acid C20: 4 (g) | 0 |
| EPA (C20:5) (g) | 0 |
| DPA (C22:5) (g) | 0 |
| DHA (C22:6) (g) | 0 |
| Tiamin (mg) | 0.03 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 5 |
| Niacin (mg) | 0.22 |
| Niacin equivalents (NE / mg) | 0.4 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.05 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0 |
| Folate (µg) | 57 |
| Retinol (µg) | 0 |
| Vitamin A (RE/µg) | 9.2 |
| β-Karoten (µg) | 108 |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 0 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 0.76 |
| Vitamin K (µg) | 44.3 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 23 |
| Iodine (µg) | 1 |
| Iron (mg) | 0.33 |
| Calcium (mg) | 25 |
| Potassium (mg) | 180 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 11 |
| Sodium (mg) | 3 |
| Salt (g) | 0.01 |
| Selenium (µg) | 0 |
| Zinc (mg) | 0.23 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 |
| Whole grains total (g) | 0 |
| Waste (shell etc.) (%) | 5 |
Can ducklings eat lettuce?
Ducklings can eat lettuce after they’ve turned four weeks of age. Before that, they need to only eat duckling pellets with a high amount of protein. They must eat at least 22% of the protein in their diet. I’ve always used this brand, and my ducklings have always liked it. You can incorporate lettuce after the ducks have turned four weeks. However, I wouldn’t rush it. They should eat healthier foods when they are still growing. Go for oats, kale, corn, and peas before offering them “junk food” as lettuce.
🍄 Ducks also enjoy to eat other vegetables. Check what vegetables ducks can eat here.
Do ducks like to eat lettuce?
Ducks like to eat lettuce. It’s easy to swallow, has a good texture, and seems to like the taste. They prefer the lettuce floating in the water. I wouldn’t suggest adding it to their swimming water, but instead to a bucket of water.
Can ducks eat raw lettuce?
Ducks prefer their lettuce raw and not tempered with. When feeding lettuce to your ducks, make sure there aren’t any seasonings, sauces, or other foods on it. They like it simple. Cut into the smallest possible pieces.
Can ducks eat cooked lettuce?
Sometimes you might come across lettuce that has been grilled or cooked. It’s rare, but it happens. Ducks can eat the cooked lettuce as long as it hasn’t been exposed to any oil, butter, or spices. However, ducks prefer their lettuce raw.
🍌 Ducks love to eat fruits, especially bananas. Do you know what other fruits ducks like to eat?
Can ducks eat the base of the lettuce?
You shouldn’t give your ducks the base of the lettuce. It would be better if you only give the fresh green parts.
Instead of throwing the base out, you can actually regrow it. I actually explained in another post how to regrow celery.
How to regrow lettuce
- Cut off a few inches of the base of the lettuce.
- Place the base in a glass of water. Bottom’s down.
- The water should only cover about 1″ of the bottom of the lettuce.
- Leave it at the window.
- The next day the water has turned a yellow color. Switch out the water every day. Rinse the lettuce daily.
- You’ll notice the top is starting to turn brown. This is normal. Just keep at it.
- After a couple of weeks when the lettuce has grown a bit, add it to a soil and let it keep growing.
Can ducks eat frozen lettuce?
Ducks can eat frozen lettuce as long as you defrost it first. Frozen lettuce isn’t usually made for eating fresh in a salad but instead in cooked meals, smoothies, and soups. Adding lettuce to a smoothie is an awesome way to incorporate frozen lettuce into the duck’s diet. However, if you plan to give the frozen lettuce mixed with their pellets, you must defrost them first. Otherwise, the risk of them getting lettuce stuck in their throat is too high.
Can ducks eat moldy or withered lettuce?
You should never give ducks or any other animal food that is moldy or started to rot. If mold has started to grow, you will need to throw the lettuce out. If the ends of the leaves are starting to wither, you can try to cut them off and give the rest to the ducks, unless yourself doesn’t want to eat it. Moldy food is toxic and can end up killing the ducks. If you compost, the microorganisms and worms might enjoy the moldy and rotten lettuce.
🐷 Did you know ducks are omnivores and eat other animals? Find out what meat you can give to ducks.
Can ducks eat pickled lettuce?
In some Asian dishes, you might come across some pickled lettuce. It’s not that common in the west, but if you would encounter it – can it be fed to your ducks? Ducks can’t eat pickled lettuce. Vinegar, salt, and sugar shouldn’t be in a duck’s diet. The vinegar is too acidic for them. The salt dehydrates them and causing kidney problems. Sugar has too many calories without providing any nutritional value.
How do you cut lettuce for ducks?
There are some different ways you can cut lettuce for your ducks. Ducks prefer when the pieces are tiny and easy for them to ingest.
1. Using a vegetable chopper to cut the lettuce
My best advice would be to use a vegetable chopper. Instead of the tedious time cutting vegetables each day with a knife, it’s much easier to use a tool that helps you. This way, you can include the kids and let them help you with the meal-prepping. Kids love to push down the lid and see the cut pieces fall into the container below. Our family has this vegetable chopper and can’t live without it.
2. Using a food processor to shred the lettuce
If you are in a hurry, a food processor might be able to help. You can let it run at a slow speed while you are doing something else. Running it on high would give you lettuce soup.
3. Cut the lettuce with a knife
If you aren’t cutting as many vegetables in your day-to-day life, a knife will do the trick for you. When cutting lettuce with a knife, try to cut it in half first. Then, in lines vertically. Turn it 90°, and cut in lines horizontally. That way, you will get the smallest pieces possible.
Safe ways to feed lettuce to ducks
There are a ton of ways you can give ducks lettuce in a safe and fun way. They are straightforward to incorporate into your food prepping routine and don’t take much time. I will give you my six best and safest ways to give lettuce to ducks.
1. Chop the lettuce and put in water.
Ducks prefer their food in the water. It helps them to ingest it and, at the same time, a safer way to feed them food. When they eat the lettuce in water, they also consume water, which prevents them from choking.
However, please don’t feed them the lettuce in their bathing water. The water they swim in is better for taking a bath than eating. Adding food to the bathwater might trigger algae growth, disrupting the ecosystems below the surface.
2. Chop the lettuce and mix with their regular food.
Another easy and safe way to feed lettuce to ducks is to cut the lettuce and mix it with their other food. You can use a veggie chopper and mix the choppings with regular pellets or any other food they fancy.
3. Chop the lettuce and serve on the ground.
This is targeted towards the ducks you can find wild in the park. You can bring some shredded lettuce and throw it on the ground for them. This will trigger their instincts and forage for foods. As it is in the park, it might welcome other guests living there—for example, squirrels, deers, and perhaps other birds. But, don’t feed them the lettuce in their pond. The lettuce will cause algae growth, and it can hurt the biodiversity in the entire park if so.
4. Put the lettuce in a smoothie
A great way to ensure your ducks receive a good amount of nutrients is to make smoothie bowls. Preparing smoothie bowls requires no effort, and the only thing you need is a blender or food processor.
My favorite things to add into a smoothie bowl for ducks are:
It’s fine if the vegetables are frozen as long as you blend them smoothly and do not leave chunks. However, you should never add dairy to the smoothie bowl. Add some cold water instead.
5. Make a salad
A simple way to spoil your ducks is to make them a salad. Ducks eat almost anything, as long as their foods are chopped into fine pieces.
Good fruits and vegetables you can add to a duck’s salad:
- Shredded carrots
- Grapes
- Apple slices
- Banana slices
- Edamame beans
- Strawberries
- Small amount of rice
- Shredded cabbage
You should never add avocados, green onions, or spinach to a duck’s salad.
6. Make lettuce dolma filled with good stuff
One thing we often do in our family is vegan dolmas. Dolmas are grape leaves filled with different vegetables, beef, rice, and seasonings.
You can make your own lettuce dolmas filled with foods your ducks like. You mustn’t make too big dolmas for your ducks. Try not to make it bigger than your pinky finger.
You can add rice, shredded carrots, mashed chickpeas, and bell peppers. Make sure the fillings are shredded tiny and made into moist texture, almost like meatballs. Wrap the fillings in small lettuce leaves.
I suggest you steam the dolmas before feeding them to your ducks. Otherwise, the lettuce wrapper is too stiff for them to eat.
🌽 Ducks can eat many foods, including the things in your fridge. Get to know what human foods you can give ducks.
Unsafe ways to feed lettuce to your ducks
Adding new stuff to your duck’s diet can be a bit frightening, and there are some things to be aware of before doing so. Here are my three tips to avoid when feeding lettuce your ducks.
1. The lettuce pieces are too big.
The pieces you give to your ducks need to be cut smaller. Or even shredded. If the piece is too big, the duck will have a hard time eating it. If they can get the entire piece, it might get stuck in their throat, causing them to suffocate. See the video below for an example of how a too big piece of lettuce looks. It might look cute, but see how much the duck struggles to eat it.
2. The lettuce is given in their bath water
It’s recommended to give your ducks food in the water. But it’s not recommended if the water is intended to swim in. If your ducks have a pond or lake to swim in, you shouldn’t add food to it. The uneaten food will sink to the bottom and dissolve in the water. That will cause algae to grow. When one type of algae grows more rapidly than others, it disrupts the ecosystem and can cause harm to the entire biodiversity in and around the pond.
Try to always feed your ducks food in their own bucket of water.
3. The lettuce has mold
It’s always good to check your vegetables for mold or if they have started to rot. Moldy and rotten food can be lethal for your ducks, and you should always discard old food.
🌺 Herbs is a staple food for wild ducks. Learn more what herbs you can give ducks here.
How often should I feed lettuce to my ducks?
You can feed ducks lettuce as often as you would like, as long as you don’t overdo it, and make adjustments to their other food accordingly. While lettuce doesn’t have many calories itself, it does take up volume in the duck’s stomach. It’s therefore important to feed it with other foods, or after you have fed the ducks their regular diet. Otherwise, the duck would have filled their stomach with food, not providing almost any energy.
How much lettuce can I feed to my ducks?
The amount of lettuce you can give to your ducks is determined by the other food in their diet. If they have room in their calorie budget and stomach for lettuce, you can incorporate it. However, it’s important to know that lettuce is high in water, which can cause diarrhea. Diarrhea dehydrates the duck, which can lead to kidney problems.
🐰 Did you know that ducks and rabbits can share food? Learn what fodders ducks can eat.
Health benefits from eating lettuce for ducks
There are numerous reasons to eat more green vegetables, and I guess you’ve heard most of them. Despite the low number of calories in lettuce, they still hold a good amount of nutrients. Lettuce contains Potassium, Folate, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.
Potassium in lettuce for ducks
Potassium is important for the fluid balance in the body. It helps the duck’s nerves to function as well as the muscles to contract. It also helps to remove waste products from the cells. Examples of foods rich in potassium ducks can eat bananas, broccoli, brussels sprouts, peas, lentils, nuts, potatoes, and tomatoes.
Folate in lettuce for ducks
Folate is mandatory in a duck’s body. It’s essential for the brain and nerve function, digestion, proper cell function, and many more processes. Examples of foods rich in folate ducks can eat corn, peas, broccoli, pasta, asparagus, sunflower seeds, and cauliflower.
Vitamin K in lettuce for ducks
Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin that is important in blood clotting, bone metabolism, and regulating blood calcium levels. A deficiency in Vitamin K may lead to easy bruising, easy bleeding, and blood in the urine. Examples of foods rich in vitamin K that ducks can eat are kale, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, asparagus, kiwi, okra, green beans, and lettuce.
Magnesium in lettuce for ducks
A magnesium deficiency may lead to hypertension, insulin resistance, heart disease, and headaches. Magnesium can benefit strong bones, the activation of vitamin d, and provides a more restful sleep. Foods rich in magnesium ducks can eat nuts, beans, okra, tuna, and bananas.
Phosphorus in lettuce for ducks
Phosphorus keeps the bones strong, helping the muscles contract, muscle recovery, and managing the body’s energy usage and storage. A phosphorus deficiency may lead to loss of appetite, fragile bones, stiff joints, fatigue, and general weakness. Foods rich in phosphorus ducks can eat tuna, tofu, lentils, quinoa, and green beans.
🥬 Ducks also need fat in their diet and nuts are an excellent food for that. Some nuts are dangerous for ducks to eat. Learn what nuts ducks can eat.
Conclusion
Ducks can eat lettuce and many other greens as long as you give them in moderation. It’s important to cut them into smaller pieces to decrease suffocation.
Ducklings can eat lettuce, but they shouldn’t eat it before they’ve turned four weeks old. Before that, they will need to stick to their regular duckling diet. After that, you can gradually incorporate lettuce into their diet.
Ducks like to eat lettuce, and they prefer when it’s served in water.
Ducks can eat both raw and cooked lettuce.
It would be best if you didn’t give the bottom of the lettuce to ducks since it’s too hard for them to swallow. Instead, you can regrow the lettuce.
Ducks can eat frozen lettuce, as long as you defrost them first, or use them in a smoothie bowl.
How do you cut lettuce for ducks:
- Using a vegetable chopper to cut the lettuce
- Using a food processor to shred the lettuce
- Cut the lettuce with a knife
Safe ways to feed lettuce to ducks:
- Chop the lettuce and put in water
- Chop the lettuce and mix with their regular food
- Chop the lettuce and serve on the ground
- Put the lettuce in a smoothie
- Make a salad
- Make lettuce dolma filled with good stuff
Unsafe ways to feed lettuce to ducks:
- The lettuce pieces are too big
- The lettuce is given in their bath water
- The lettuce has mold
You can feed ducks lettuce as often as you would like, as long as you don’t overdo it, and make adjustments to their other food accordingly. The amount of lettuce you can give to your ducks is determined by the other food in their diet. If they have room in their calorie budget and stomach for lettuce, you can incorporate it.
Lettuce contains Potassium, Folate, Vitamin K, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.