Ducks love to eat. They would eat almost anything you’ll give them. Because of that, it’s important to know what foods are good and which are bad to feed ducks. If you want to feed ducks human food, you can think of food consideredhealthy for humans. Ducks love the food we think as a healthfood.
Examples of human food you can feed ducks with are rice, carrots, oats, pasta, and eggs.
You should never feed ducks human food as bread, crackers, dairy, or any food containing a lot of sugar.
I have made resource to help you know which human foods you can give ducks and which to avoid in the list below.
Besides human food, there is also the possibility to feed ducks with nuts and fodders. I wrote another resource with over 30 examples of what nuts and fodders you can and can not feed ducks. Check it out.
List of human food ducks can or can not eat
Can ducks eat basmati rice?
Ducks can eat basmati rice. Both raw and cooked basmati rice is fine. The old rumor that raw rice would swell and make their stomach explode is just not true. While basmati rice is both inexpensive and quite rich in nutrients makes it a good food for ducks.
Can ducks eat bread?
Ducks can eat bread. However, it’s not suggested, and you should not feed them bread. Bread does not contain enough beneficial nutrients to justify the space it takes up in the stomach. The bread fills them up, so they won’t look for nutritious food, which will cause malnourishment.
Can ducks eat cake?
Cakes are edible by ducks. But it doesn’t provide them with proper nutrition. Pastries and bread fill up their stomachs with junk they don’t need and will not get them saturated for a longer time.
Can ducks eat canned carrots?
You can provide the ducks’ some carrots in small pieces or even mashed. However, canned carrots contain a high amount of sodium which isn’t good for them. If you wish to give ducks carrots, please boil them first. Either chop them into small pieces or mash them.
Can ducks eat canned green beans?
Ducks can eat canned beans as long as they are cooked and rinsed. Uncooked beans contain phytohemagglutinin, which is toxic to birds. It’s important to rinse the beans to get rid of eventual sodium, which is harmful to birds.
Can ducks eat canned peas?
Ducks love to eat canned or frozen peas. It provides them with nutrient-rich food, which will keep them full for a while. If the peas are canned, make sure to rinse them first to remove the sodium.
Can ducks eat canned tuna?
Ducks can eat tuna in any format. However, it shouldn’t be their main food source. Tuna provides the ducks with healthy fats and a high amount of protein. Canned tuna in water is fine and provides the duck what it needs. I would, however, avoid canned tuna in oil, despite its higher protein density, since that type of oil isn’t included in the duck’s natural diet.
Can ducks eat cheese?
Cheese contains salt, dairy, and fat—three things ducks shouldn’t consume. If you wish to treat the ducks with some excellent nutritious food, you can give them food from their regular diet like sunflower seeds, barley, and oats. If you wish to spoil them, you can always give them some duck pellets.
Can you feed ducks Cheerios?
You can feed Cheerios to ducks, but in small quantities since Cheerios contain sugar. Cheerios are mainly made of whole grain oats, which is good for them. The added sugar isn’t good for the ducks since it’s not part of their natural diet. It’s much better to serve the ducks’ oats directly instead of in the form of Cheerios.
Can ducks eat Cheez-its?
Cheez-its har high in sugars and contain cheese. Avoid giving Cheez-its to ducks. It is not part of their natural diet, and they do not benefit from eating it.
Can ducks eat chips?
Ducks should not eat chips since it contains a high amount of fats and sugars. A better alternative would be to boil potatoes and cut them up into small pieces. That’s good for them and something they need.
Can ducks eat crackers?
Ducks should not eat crackers since it doesn’t provide good nutrition for them. Like bread, crackers take up much space in their stomach but don’t provide them with good nutrition, which will cause malnourishment.
Can ducks eat cupcakes?
Cupcakes are filled with sugars and should not be fed to ducks. Even if the cupcakes are sugar-free,, they shouldn’t be given to ducks. Cupcakes haven’t enough beneficial nutrients for ducks to motivate taking up so much space in their stomach.
Can ducks eat eggs?
Ducks can eat both cooked and scrambled eggs. If you crush up the eggshell in smaller pieces, it’s ok to serve them that as well.
Can ducks eat eggshells?
Ducks can eat eggshells as they provide a good amount of Calcium. Make sure to crush them up in tiny pieces first not to risk suffocation. Other healthy alternatives for providing the ducks with Calcium would be collard greens, kale, and turnip greens.
Can ducks eat french fries?
Ducks can eat french fries, but it’s not good for them and should be avoided. Fries and French fries do not provide any benefits for the ducks. Fries are high in fat and, salt and oils. Instead, provide them with a healthier alternative like seeds.
Can ducks eat gingerbread?
Like cake, bread, cupcakes, and other human treats – they should not be fed to ducks. Gingerbreads lack beneficial nutrients for ducks and just take up space in their stomachs.
Can ducks eat gum?
Gum is neither made to be broken down into smaller pieces nor to provide energy. The choking hazard is high and could kill the duck. You should not give ducks gum.
Can ducks eat ham?
Ham usually contain a lot of salt, which is bad for the ducks. I have never seen ducks go for pig hunting. As far as I know, pigs aren’t in their natural diet and should therefore be avoided.
Can ducks eat honey?
While honey is very sweet and provides many calories, there aren’t many vitamins and minerals. However, ducks could benefit from eating honey during the colder months to help to keep their layer of fat. Serve in moderation and in small pieces.
Can ducks eat Honey nut cheerios?
Ducks can benefit from eating Hone nut cheerios. I would suggest feeding in moderation since the calories are quite high. During the cold part of the year, it would be good a good food source when the ducks need more energy. However, fatty seeds would be even better. If you have any Honey nut cheerios laying around which hasn’t gone bad, feel free to serve them.
Can ducks eat hot dogs?
A hot dog contains bread and sausages. As we all know, bread is a no-no for serving ducks. What about the sausage? Even though ducks are omnivores and eat almost anything served, they have a preferred taste. They much more enjoy the taste of fish than meat. Suppose you have an extra sausage at home and don’t know what to do with it. Could you give it to the dog instead?
Can ducks eat human food?
This is hard to answer since everyone’s opinion differs when it comes to defining human food. Since I don’t consume any animal products at all. I would call seeds, vegetables, fruits, and legumes for human food and say it would be OK to feed ducks. (Beans have to be cooked, though). Other people would say ribs, bacon, and burgers are human food, where I would say no – it shouldn’t be served to ducks.
Can ducks eat ice?
Ducks can eat ice and snow. However, when consuming colder feed, it requires more energy for their bodies to break it down. During hot days, the ducks don’t care so much for food. You could provide them with crushed ice as a treat.
Can ducks eat ice cream?
Ice cream contains lactose and sugar. Two things ducks shouldn’t eat since it’s not in their natural diet.
Can ducks eat instant oatmeal?
Oats are a great food source for ducks, and instant oatmeal is no exception. It’s low in calories and has a good amount of nutrients which benefit the ducks greatly.
Can ducks eat jasmine rice?
Ducks can eat jasmine rice, both uncooked and cooked. Rice is inexpensive food and also provides a good amount of nutrients. The old myth that uncooked rice swells in the stomach, and causes it to explode, is just a myth, and you can give the ducks rice without a problem. Read more about if ducks can eat sushi or not here.
Can ducks eat jello?
Ducks should not eat jello since it doesn’t provide them with any beneficial nutrients and only takes up space in their stomachs. Give them some healthier alternative instead, for example, seeds.
Can ducks eat jelly?
Jelly contains a lot of sugars and shouldn’t be a part of the duck’s diet. However, it could be given as a small treat for them. Consider that ducks would enjoy sunflower seeds as a better treat than jelly. Jelly would be a better treat for humans.
Can ducks eat ketchup?
Ketchup has a lot of sugars and isn’t part of the duck’s natural diet. I wouldn’t suggest feeding ducks ketchup. However, in small amounts, it wouldn’t hurt them, but consider giving them something else.
Can ducks eat kitchen scraps?
Definition of kitchen scraps changes from kitchen to kitchen. I would call potato peels, carrot peels, onion peels, tomato twigs, inside of bell peppers, and shells from nuts kitchen scraps in my kitchen. Things like chicken bones, bones from chops, eggshells, and coffee grounds would be considered kitchen scraps in other kitchens.
Since the kitchen scrap varies from household to household, I wouldn’t answer this correctly. It’s better to check each scrap by itself.
Can ducks eat lard?
It would be best not to feed ducks lard since it’s not in their natural diet. Grease from other animals is nothing they can consume in the wild. Not only is it unbeneficial for their health, but it is also not necessary when there are plenty of other nonharmful foods for them.
Can ducks eat marshmallows?
Marshmallows are sugar, shaped like a ball. Not only doesn’t it provide them with any beneficial nutrients, but the choking hazard is severe as well. Ducks should not eat marshmallows. Do not feed ducks marshmallows.
Can ducks drink milk?
Ducks are not mammals and therefore don’t produce milk. Milk is not in their natural diet. Lactose is not good for ducks. You should not feed ducks milk.
Can ducks eat moldy bread?
You should never feed a duck or any animal something that has mold on it. Mold is toxic and may be lethal. You should never feed bread to the ducks, even without mold. Bread doesn’t provide the ducks with sufficient nutrients and would only take up space in their bellies.
Can ducks eat moldy food?
You should NEVER give any animal moldy food. Mold is toxic and may be lethal. Throw away the food if it has mold on it. Ducks need healthy fresh food just like us humans.
Can Ducks drink muddy water?
Ducks love mud in all shapes and forms. They clean themselves with it. They clean their food with i. They search for food in it. Muddy water is a part of their natural environment. However, if you have your own ducks, and provide them with a water source, make sure to throw out the old water from time to time. The ducks love the process of making the water muddy just as much as they love everything about it.
Can ducks eat noodles?
Ducks can eat noodles, both cooked and uncooked, in moderation. While noodles don’t have many nutrients, it can be good food for ducks to eat. However, if you serve them uncooked noodles in a block, you need to break them up into tiny pieces first.
Can ducks eat Nutella?
Nutella has a lot of sugars in it and shouldn’t be consumed by ducks. Nutella doesn’t provide anything good except a high amount of calories. The same amount of calories can be served as crushed nuts and would benefit the ducks much more than Nutella. Please, do not feed ducks Nutella.
Can ducks eat nutritional yeast?
While Nutritional yeast does provide a nutty flavor is an awesome ingredient to add when making vegan cheese, it also provides a good amount of Vitamin B3 (Niacin). Ducks can eat nutritional yeast, and if you mix it in with a bag of seed mix, it would be an awesome food for them.
Can ducks eat oatmeal?
Ducks can eat oatmeal and should be incorporated into their diet. Oatmeal has a lot of vitamins and minerals like Iron, Magnesium, Calcium, and Vitamin B6. It can be served both as uncooked and as porridge.
Can ducks eat oats?
Ducks can and should eat oats. Oats provide healthy nutrients to the duck and gives them a real treat. Ducks love oats in any shape and form—quick oats, steel-cut oats, but also as porridge.
Can ducks eat olive oil?
From what I’ve found, I can’t see anything harmful with feeding ducks olive oil. However, there is nothing beneficial besides the number of calories in oil. If your goal is to give the duck calories to build a good layer of fat for winter, I would suggest feeding them sunflower seeds instead.
Can ducks eat Oreos?
Ducks can eat Oreos, but they shouldn’t. Oreos contains a lot of sugars and fills the duck’s stomaches without providing sufficient nutrients. Eat the Oreos yourself and treat the ducks with some good seeds instead.
Can ducks eat pasta?
Ducks can eat uncooked and cooked pasta in moderation. Make sure the pasta is served in smaller pieces, especially if it’s uncooked. Bigger uncooked pieces of pasta are a choking hazard.
Can ducks eat peanut butter?
Ducks can eat peanut butter, but in small amounts – but only if there are fewer additives. Peanut butter often contains a lot more than just oil and peanuts. Giving the ducks’ peanut butter should be in minimal quantities but preferably not at all. Actually ducks can eat many nuts. I have made a helpful resource to help you know which nuts and fodders you can feed your ducks with.
Can ducks eat popcorn?
Ducks should not eat popcorn. Popcorn doesn’t provide any value for ducks but filling their stomaches with air. Avoid serving the ducks popcorn. Popcorn kernels are better to serve since they take up less space in their stomaches and have more nutrients.
Can ducks eat popcorn kernels?
Popcorn kernels take up less space than popcorn in the duck digestive system and also have more nutrients than popped popcorn. Popcorn kernels are fine to feed ducks since they are small and have a good amount of vitamins and minerals.
Can ducks eat quail?
If ducks and quail are kept together, there’s a small risk duck will eat the quail eggs. However, when the quail egg has been hatched, and a quail chick has popped out, I haven’t heard anything about ducks eating the baby chick. The hatched quail eggs can be crushed into small pieces and served to the ducks. Quail and ducks can eat the same food.
Can duck eat Quaker oats?
Ducks love to eat Quaker oats. In fact, ducks love any type of food with oats. Steel-cut, rolled, or cooked. Anything. Oats provide excellent nutrition for ducks and should be in their daily diet.
Can ducks eat Quavers?
Quavers and other chips should not be fed to ducks. Chips are high in fat and don’t provide any beneficial nutrients for them.
Can ducks eat quiche?
If you have leftover quiche, you should eat it yourself. Quiche is made from cheese, meat, seafood, or vegetables.
Ducks shouldn’t eat cheese since it’s high in fat and salt.
Can ducks eat Quick oats?
Ducks can and should eat quick oats every day. Quick oats are cheap and easy to come by, its very rich in nutrients and provide the ducks with almost everything they need.
Can ducks eat quinoa?
Quinoa and other grains are extremely rich in nutrients and therefore excellent food for ducks. However, quinoa is best served cooked or sprouted.
Can ducks eat raw eggs?
You shouldn’t feed raw eggs to ducks. They much more prefer scrambled or cooked eggs. The eggshells also provide a good amount of Calcium which will help to prevent Hypocalcemia. Make sure to break down the eggshells into tiny pieces before serving them.
Can ducks eat raw rice?
Ducks can eat raw rice. The myth of feeding uncooked rice to birds is just a myth. The rice will not swell in their stomachs and make them explode. Both jasmine and basmati rice are good to serve uncooked, as well as cooked.
Rice is not only inexpensive, but it also comes with minerals and vitamins.
Can ducks eat rice?
Ducks love to eat rice. Both cooked and uncooked rice. Both jasmine and basmati. However, if you are feeding the ducks sushi, make sure to break the rice balls into smaller chunks to decrease the choking hazard. Check out a more extensive description of if ducks can eat rice here.
Can ducks eat rice cakes?
Even though regular rice is good food for ducks, they shouldn’t eat rice cakes. Rice cakes are known to be a healthy alternative for humans. The stiffness and amount of salt in rice cakes are not good for ducks and should be avoided.
Can ducks eat rice krispies?
Rice Krispies usually is 10% sugar which is not suitable for ducks. If you wish to serve ducks something from the kitchen, you might consider oats or regular rice instead. However, Rice Krispies are not in the duck’s natural diet and should not be given to ducks to eat.
Can ducks eat rolled oats?
Ducks should eat oats in every form. Cooked, rolled, steal-cut, quick oats. Oats should be in the duck’s daily diet since it has many nutrients that will make the duck thrive.
Do ducks eat scrambled eggs?
Ducks can eat scrambled eggs. If you wish to provide them extra Calcium, you can supply them with the crushed eggshells on the side. However, please do not feed the shells to ducklings since their throats aren’t that wide yet and can also inhibit organ growth.
Can ducks eat sourdough bread?
Even though almost any bird eats bread when they are being fed, it doesn’t mean they should eat it. Sourdough bread is no exception. Bread fills their stomachs very quickly, which will make them feel full and causes them not to seek other food with better nutrient content. Bread doesn’t provide the important and beneficial minerals and vitamins the ducks need.
Can ducks eat spicy food?
Ducks and other birds don’t react the same way as humans do when eating hot and spicy food. If you would serve a duck hot food, there’s a risk there would be a waste on the ground. Imagine another animal getting hold of that spicy food. A squirrel might eat a hot pepper and react the same way as us humans do. Even though ducks are able to eat spicy food, I would not serve them some since it can be harmful to other animals.
Can ducks eat tortillas?
Tortillas should not be given to ducks. Ducks should not eat any type of bread since it not rich in nutrients and quickly fills their stomachs.
Can ducks eat tortilla wraps?
A duck should not eat tortilla wraps. Perhaps the content of the tortilla if the insides consist of seeds, grains, nuts, leafy greens, and cooked legumes.
Can ducks eat uncooked barley?
Uncooked barley is an excellent food for ducks. Barley and other grains should be the major ingredient in every duck’s daily diet. Barley has a great amount of Iron, Calcium, and Magnesium.
Can ducks eat uncooked brown rice?
Ducks can eat both brown and white rice. Both cooked or uncooked. You don’t have to worry about that old myth about serving uncooked brown rice to birds. Their stomachs will not explode from swelling.
Can ducks eat uncooked corn?
Ducks can eat uncooked corn. They love it. Corn supplies the ducks with a great amount of energy and sweet flavor. Corn can be served in any shape or size, except popcorn. However, uncooked, frozen, cracked, boiled, fresh are all safe to feed ducks. Ducks can eat a lot of other vegetables. I made another resource explaining which vegetables you can feed your duck.
Can ducks eat uncooked grits?
Ducks can eat both uncooked and cooked grits. I once served the ducks nearby a big bowl of cooked grits with sunflower seeds. They absolutely loved it. However, it was a bit hard to get my bowl back.
Can ducks eat uncooked lentils?
Ducks should not eat uncooked lentils. However, cooked lentils or sprouts from lentils are the perfect food for them. Uncooked lentils contain a protein called lectin, which is harmful to ducks. Read more about feeding lentils to ducks here.
Can ducks eat uncooked oats?
Oats are an excellent food to give ducks to eat. When given a chance, you should provide ducks with oats. Daily. Oats contain a lot of ideal vitamins and nutrients the ducks require.
Can ducks eat uncooked popcorn kernels?
Ducks can eat uncooked popcorn kernels. However, cooked popcorn should not be in their diet. Uncooked popcorn kernels don’t take up that much space in their stomach, have more nutrients than popcorn, and are much smaller than popcorn, so the choking hazard is much less.
Can ducks eat uncooked quinoa?
Uncooked quinoa has a protein called lectin, which is toxic to ducks. You should not feed ducks uncooked quinoa. However, sprouted or cooked quinoa is an excellent food for ducks. It provides them a great amount of protein and gives them a variety of great vitamins and minerals.
Can ducks eat uncooked rice?
Ducks can eat uncooked rice. Ducks can also eat cooked rice. The old myth that ducks and other birds shouldn’t eat uncooked rice because they would explode is an old myth and doesn’t have any truth in it. Rice is both inexpensive and provides the ducks with good nutrition.
Can ducks eat uncooked split peas?
Ducks can eat uncooked split peas. Peas provide a good amount of protein and are also quite inexpensive. If they are frozen, make sure to defrost them before feeding them to the ducks. Eating frozen food requires more energy from the ducks, and your goal of serving the ducks some food is to supply them with energy.
Can ducks eat vanilla ice cream?
It would be best if you did not feed ducks vanilla ice cream. Ice cream contains lactose and sugars, for both are not in a duck’s natural diet. Eat the ice cream yourself and give the ducks some seeds instead. And no, the ice cream cone is not suitable for ducks either.
Can ducks eat vanilla yogurt?
Ducks should not eat vanilla yogurt since it’s made from milk containing a high amount of sugar. It would be best to avoid feeding ducks the vanilla yogurt since it’s in their natural diet.
Can ducks eat vegetable oil?
You should not incorporate vegetable oil in the duck’s natural diet unless there a specific reason. If your goal is to help the ducks gain some fat for winter, you could instead provide them with some seeds and nuts with high-fat content. Crushed-up walnuts and sunflower seeds are excellent sources of fat.
Can ducks drink vinegar?
Reasons for adding apple cider vinegar into a duck’s drinking water may vary. Therefore, it would be best to contact a veterinarian before doing so.
Can ducks eat Weetabix?
Ducks should not eat Weetabix, crackers or bread, since it takes up too much space in their digestive system.
Can ducks eat wet bread?
Ducks should not eat any form of bread. Bread takes up too much space in their digestive system, which quickly fills them up, which leads them to not search for other food, thus forcing them into malnourishment.
Can ducks eat wheat bread?
Ducks should not eat wheat bread or any other type of bread. It doesn’t provide the ducks with the nutrients they need.
Can ducks eat yogurt?
Ducks should not eat yogurt. Lactose is not part of their natural diet. Ducks aren’t mammals and have never had milk. Offering them dairy from another species is just weird. They prefer regular water and especially muddy water.
Can ducks eat Yorkshire pudding?
Ducks should not eat Yorkshire pudding since it’s not nutrient beneficial for them. Yorkshire pudding is a dough just like bread and fills their stomaches up without providing any valuable nutrients.