Oats – what a fantastic grain. It contains a lot of nutrients and provides many health benefits. My family has always been a porridge family, and when we got ducks, we asked ourselves if we could share our oats with the ducks. So we did some research and now want to share the results.
Ducks can eat oats, and they thrive on them. You can give oats to ducks both as a daily staple and as a treat. Ducks can eat them both uncooked and cooked. Don’t give any spices or dairy with the oats. Plain dry oats or soaked with water is fine. Combination with seeds and duck pellets is a huge hit.
Oats provide the ducks with excellent nutrition and a great variety of vitamins and minerals. They don’t take up much space in the duck’s stomach but still manage to provide a lot of energy. With approximately 370 calories per 100 grams, oats are perfect as an energy source.
There are several things you can do with oats, your ducks will appreciate. For example, porridge, mix with fruits and vegetables, thickening soups, overnight oats, oat milk, and as an addition to smoothies.
Can ducks eat oats?
Ducks can and will eat oats if you give it to them. Oats are perfect for ducks to eat since they provide them with a lot of nutrients, but also a taste ducks seem to appreciate.
You can mix oats with their regular duck pellets, but also with other fruits and vegetables they like. There’s also the option to cook with them. For example, you can add oats to a lentil soup to make it a bit thicker. You can also add oats to a smoothie to give it a little energy boost.
Ducks prefer to eat their foods with liquids, which means they can projectile their poop. Consuming much water with food can lead to diarrhea. Oats are actually diarrhea inhibiting food which is great for ducks. Diarrhea dehydrates the duck, which can lead to kidney problems.
Ducks need around circa 1400 calories per day, depending on what type of breed, sex, and age the duck is. Since 100 grams of oats are 370 calories, feeding them 100 grams a day would take up a fourth of their entire calorie budget.
Can ducklings eat oats?
Ducklings can eat oats, and they will benefit from it. Ducklings shouldn’t eat oats until they are at least four weeks old. The oats should be gradually added into their diet alongside other foods they like—fruits, for example.
Ducklings are pretty messy in their brooder, and providing them with uncooked oats might be a good idea. However, they prefer when the oats are in the water, which can be a bit messy. But I’m sure you are used to cleaning that brooder daily already.
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Do ducks like to eat oats?
Ducks like to eat oats in many different ways. Their most preferred method is to eat them in water. However, if you are visiting the park and want to provide the ducks with some oats – please do not throw them into the water they swim in. Uneaten oats will dissolve in the water and cause algae growth, which can be harmful to the biodiversity of the pond.
Instead of throwing the oats into the pond, you can bring the oats in a container, bring a water bottle with fresh water and add the water to the container. Ready to serve. If you are in a rush, you can add corn and green peas to the container too. It will be emptied in seconds.
Another way is to throw the oats to the ground. That way, they will activate their natural instincts and forage for food. Squirrels and other small animals will eat the remaining oats.
🥬 Vegetables is crucial in a duck’s diet. Learn what vegetables you can feed ducks here.
What type of oats can ducks eat?
Ducks can eat all kinds of oats, as long as it isn’t flour form.
Ducks can eat these types of oats:
- Whole oat groats
- Steel-cut oats (Irish oats)
- Scottish oats
- Rolled (Old-fashioned oats)
- Quick oats
- Instant oats
- Oat bran
Can ducks eat uncooked oats?
Ducks can eat uncooked oats, and they like it. From what I’ve noticed, they don’t seem to have a preferred taste for either cooked or uncooked. They do prefer oats in water more than dry ones. Uncooked oats carry a lot of fiber which is excellent for the duck’s digestive system.
It doesn’t matter what type of oats – ducks can eat them all.
Ducks can eat whole oat groats, steel-cut / Irish oats, Scottish oats, rolled / old-fashioned oats, quick oats, instant oats, and oat bran.
🐌 Ducks also eat slugs, insects, and other smalls. Find out what animals ducks can eat here.
Can ducks eat cooked oats?
Ducks can eat oats in many different ways, and cooked is one of them. There are multiple dishes you can add oats to that are duck-friendly. Ducks love to eat porridge, for example. Mix the oats with water, some berries and put them in the microwave for a minute, and it’s perfect for them. Make sure the fruits are cut into smaller pieces before serving.
Some might argue that ducks can eat flapjacks (a British biscuit). I would agree as long as it is sugar-free. Often flapjacks contain almost 30% sugar which is too much for ducks. But homemade, sugar-free flapjacks with raisins and other fruits would be a great hit.
Can ducks eat moldy oats?
You should never feed ducks with moldy, rotten, or old oats. Mold is toxic and can be lethal to them. They don’t even need to be eating the stale food – but yet only inhaling the fungus spores can be harmful. If you have bad food – throw it out immediately.
Safe ways to feed oats to ducks
There’s a lot of ways you can feed oats to your ducks. The simplicity of oats makes them a perfect food in the duck’s diet, and it’s hard to mess it up. You can add them to a bowl of water, and you are fine. The only thing you will need to consider is to feed in moderation, check for mold, and never feed them oats in their swimming water.
There are some ways you can adapt oats into the duck’s diet. Try to find what their favorite is.
Porridge
The most common and easiest way to prepare oats for ducks is to make them some porridge.
To every cup of oats, add two cups of water. One cup of oats is around 80 grams which are roughly 300 calories. Never add any salt to a duck’s porridge.
In the porridge, you can add some berries or fruits. Blueberries are an excellent addition since they don’t require any cutting.
Uncooked
Uncooked oats are excellent to give to ducks. You can combine their regular duck pellets and mix them. It doesn’t matter what type of oats you feed them.
You can mix uncooked oats with fresh fruits, raisins, duck pellets, and cooked vegetables.
Salad
The ducks always appreciate a salad. Lettuce, tomatoes, Brussels sprouts, kale, and peanuts are excellent additions to oats in a salad for ducks. Make sure everything is cut into smaller pieces first to avoid any choking hazard.
Smoothie
Smoothies are perfect for ducks – especially on hot, warm days. Ducks don’t consume dairy since it’s hurting their stomach. Instead, you can add oats to the smoothie and have oat milk, and at the same time provide a significant amount of vitamins.
Duck’s favorite smoothies consist of peas, oats, kale, blueberries, raspberries, and bananas.
Blend everything in a blender until smooth. You can top it off with some crushed walnuts.
Nice cream
Nice cream is a fantastic way to treat your ducks. Nice cream is a vegan-friendly style of dairy-free ice cream you can make yourself. The only thing you need is a blender and frozen bananas. Everything else is a bonus. I usually add blueberries or strawberries. Ducks prefer green peas as their bonus.
Oat milk
Oat milk is great for both you and your ducks. You will need to remove the salt if you plan to give your ducks the milk. You will need to blend the ingredients, and strain the milk into bottles. You can use a cheese cloth to strain the milk. The excess cut oats can be used in bread, or why not give them to the ducks.
To make oat milk, you will need:
- 3-4 cups of water
- 1 cup of rolled oats
For humans:
- A pinch of salt
- A pitted date
- A bottle cap of cooking oil
Bonus:
- 1 hand of Berries (For berry milk)
- 2 tsp Cacao (For chocolate milk)
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
Mashed potatoes
There are two things my ducks like (except green peas). They like oats and mashed potatoes. A perfect treat is to add oats to their mashed potatoes. I’ve written a resource on how to make mashed potatoes for ducks here.
You can add the uncooked oats into the mashed potatoes right before serving.
Lentil soup
Lentils are a perfect food to give to your ducks. Why not spoil them with a lentils soup with lots of lentils, vegetables, and oats? Lentils are a complete protein that is perfect for ducks. Oats in combination with lentils make an ideal food.
If you are doing a lentil soup, make sure not to use any spices. Boil the foods, and blend them with a hand blender.
With regular food
You can combine uncooked or cooked oats with their regular duck pellets. Mix it, and you are done. Shredded carrots, or cut broccoli is great with oats. Or why not some rice with green peas.
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Unsafe ways to feed oats to ducks
Although there aren’t so many unsafe ways to feed oats to ducks, it can be harmful in the long run.
Not feeding in moderation
Despite oats being a great addition to the duck’s diet, it shouldn’t be overused. There are still a lot of claories in oats, and a surplus of calories will make the ducks overweight.
Feeding in water
If you are visiting a lake or pond there might be ducks there. The ducks are custom to be thrown treats and various foods. However, it would be best to not feed the ducks directly into their swim water. If they were to miss some oats, the oat dissolves and causes algae growth. When a specific algae grows it can disrupt the ecosystem and kill other algae as well as microbes who eat the algae.
Instead, feed the oats on land. Bring a container, fill it with water, add the oats and let the ducks feast from your container.
How much oats can I feed my ducks?
The amount of oats you can give your ducks is determined by the other foods in their diet. Ducks need a specific amount of calories each day and oats provide a good amount of nutrients beneficial for the ducks without filling their stomachs too much and yet energize them.
If you add oats to their diet, you will need to decrease the amount of something else to avoid them become overweight.
🥜 Seeds and nuts are a great food for ducks to eat. There are some nuts you shouldn’t give ducks. Find out which here.
How often can I feed oats to my ducks?
You can feed oats as often as you would like, as long as it is in moderation, don’t gives the duck a caloric surplus, and you ensure they receive all the vitamins and minerals they require.
Oats are usually given as a daily staple food mixed with their regular duck pellets.
How to store oats for ducks?
Dry unopened oatmeal is best stored in a cool, clean and dry place. If you have an opened oatmeal package the best option is to store in a resealable plastic bag or in a container you can close air tight. Opened oatmeal should be consumed within one year. You can also store it in the in a freezer bag, inside the freezer for about one year.
🐹 Ducks usually eat duck pellets, but they can also eat other fodders. Learn what fodders ducks can eat here.
Health benefits from eating oats for ducks
Despite being a processed food and not found in the duck’s natural diet, there are still plenty of health beneifts from eating oats. Oats are a great source of manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, copper, biotin and vitamin b1 (thiamine). Despite all the vitamins and minerals, oats are also known for their high amounts of fiber. Steel-cut oats are over 10% fiber and helps to prevent diarrhea. There’s also a almost 10% of protein in oats which helps the duck to feel full for longer.
Manganese in oats for ducks
Manganese helps the duck’s body to form connective tissue. It also plays a role in converting fat and carbohydrates in food to energy. It’s also important for calcium absorption since ducks are very reliant on calcium for their egg production. Foods ducks can eat that includes mangamese are oats, oysters, nuts, soybeans, legumes, rice, and leafy vegetables.
Molybdenum in oats for ducks
The mineral molbydenum is used in the ducks body to process protein and DNA. It also help to break down toxic substances. A molybdenum deficiency can cause intellectual disability, seizsures. Foods rich in molybdenum that ducks can eat are rice, nuts, potatoes, bananas, and leafy vegetables.
Phosphorus in oats for ducks
Phosphorus is important for how the body uses carbohydrates and fats. It’s also important for the repairment of cells and body tissues. Phosphorus also help the body to produce ATP (which the body uses to store energy). Foods rich in phosphorus that ducks can eat are tuna, soybeans, lentils, quinoa and nuts.
Copper in oats for ducks
Cooper helps in the production of red blood cells, supporting the immune system but also turning sugar into energy. Foods rich in copper ducks can eat are potatoes, mushrooms, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and soybeans.
Biotin in oats for ducks
Biotin is one of the B vitamins and helps the body with the major systems. Biotin helps the body to use enzymes and carry nutrients throughout the body. Not only that, it also helps to regulate blood sugar levels. Biotin is found seeds, nuts, sweet potatoes, walnuts, peanuts, mushrooms, and lentils.
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) in oats for ducks
Vitamin B1 helps to prevent complications in the nervous system, brain and muscles etc. Thiamine is found in sunflower seeds, flaxseeds, walnuts, oats, and other nuts.
| Nutrient (unit) | Whole oats | Steel-cut oats |
|---|---|---|
| Weight standard (g) | 100 | 100 |
| Energy (kcal) | 375 | 371 |
| Energy (kJ) | 1569 | 1552 |
| Carbohydrates (g) | 64.1 | 60.5 |
| Fat (g) | 6.98 | 7.3 |
| Protein (g) | 9.5 | 9.97 |
| Fiber (g) | 7.5 | 10.5 |
| Water (g) | 10.2 | 9.69 |
| Alcohol (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Ashes (g) | 1.7 | 2.07 |
| Monosaccharides (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Disaccharides (g) | 1.05 | 1.21 |
| Sucrose (g) | 1.05 | 1.21 |
| Sugars (g) | 1 | 1.2 |
| Total saturated fatty acids (g) | 1.13 | 1.21 |
| Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Lauric acid C12: 0 (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Myristic acid C14: 0 (g) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g) | 1 | 1.07 |
| Stearic acid C18: 0 (g) | 0.09 | 0.11 |
| Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g) | 2.56 | 2.6 |
| Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g) | 0.01 | 0.01 |
| Oleic acid C18: 1 (g) | 2.44 | 2.48 |
| Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g) | 2.85 | 3.02 |
| Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g) | 2.74 | 2.89 |
| Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g) | 0.11 | 0.12 |
| 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) | 0.29 | 0.32 |
| Riboflavin (mg) | 0.07 | 0.08 |
| Vitamin C (mg) | 0 | 0 |
| Niacin (mg) | 0.8 | 3.58 |
| Niacin equivalents (NE / mg) | 2.4 | 5.2 |
| Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.11 | 0.16 |
| Vitamin B12 (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Folate (µg) | 30.2 | 40.1 |
| Retinol (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin A (RE/µg) | 0 | 0 |
| β-Karoten (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin D (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Vitamin E (mg) | 0.81 | 0.85 |
| Vitamin K (µg) | 2.2 | 2.8 |
| Phosphorus (mg) | 360 | 460 |
| Iodine (µg) | 6.8 | 3.3 |
| Iron (mg) | 3.43 | 4.06 |
| Calcium (mg) | 43 | 49 |
| Potassium (mg) | 340 | 440 |
| Magnesium (mg) | 110 | 140 |
| Sodium (mg) | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| Salt (g) | 0 | 0 |
| Selenium (µg) | 0 | 0 |
| Zinc (mg) | 2.6 | 2.99 |
| Cholesterol (mg) | 0 | 0 |
| Whole grains total (g) | 100 | 85 |
| Waste (shell etc.) (%) | 0 | 0 |
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Conclusion
Ducks can eat oats and they absolutely love it. However, it’s important to feed in moderation due to the high amount of calories in proportion to the space it takes up in the duck’s stomach.
Ducklings can eat oats after they’ve turned four weeks of age. Oats can gradually be added into their diet.
Ducks can eat both cooked and uncooked oats. They do prefer their oats in a bucket of water.
Safe ways to feed oats to ducks are:
- Porridge
- Uncooked
- Salad
- Smoothie
- Nice cream
- Oat milk
- Mashed potatoes
- Lentil soup
- With regular foox
Unsafe ways to feed oats to ducks are:
- Not feeding in moderation
- Feeding the oats in their swim water
- Feeding moldy oats
You can feed oats as often as you would like, as long as it is in moderation, don’t gives the duck a caloric surplus, and you ensure they receive all the vitamins and minerals they require. The amount of oats you can give your ducks is determined by the other foods in their diet. Ducks need a specific amount of calories each day and oats provide a good amount of nutrients beneficial for the ducks without filling their stomachs too much and yet energize them.
Oats are a great source of manganese, molybdenum, phosphorus, copper, biotin and vitamin b1 (thiamine). Despite all the vitamins and minerals, oats are also known for their high amounts of fiber.