Potatoes are fascinating, and we have been growing them for hundreds of years. I don’t know any person or duck who doesn’t like the taste of potatoes. I have even never met someone who didn’t have a preferred type of potato dish.
Ducks can eat potatoes as long as they are cooked and not raw. Ducks shouldn’t eat the potato in the form of french fries or chips, but instead as mashed or cooked. Regular, baked, and sweet potatoes are all fine to serve the duck. Ducks may not enjoy the taste of the peel, but it won’t hurt them.
| Type of potato | Cooked | Fried | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baked potato | Yes | No | No |
| Chips | No | No | No |
| French fries | No | No | No |
| Mashed potato | Yes | No | No |
| Potato skins | Yes | No | No |
| Sweet potato | Yes | No | No |
| Regular potato | Yes | No | No |
Can ducks eat potatoes?
Ducks can eat potatoes as long as they are cooked and not in any shape or form. It would be best if you never fed a duck raw potatoes to a duck. Raw potatoes contain solanine which causes headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and sometimes even is lethal.
Ducks aren’t that picky when it comes to food—especially not vegetables. Don’t feel bad if you overcook the potatoes or any other vegetable. Ducks prefer the potatoes more if they are a bit mushier.
Do ducks like potatoes?
It’s hard to answer for every duck—however, the ducks in my backyard like to eat potatoes from time to time. Potatoes are not a staple in their diet, but they do get some now and then, and it always goes down.
Their favorite way is when I have used a mandolin to chop a peeled, cooked potato into french fries shapes. I try to remove as much of the starch from the “fries” before serving by pressing them in my hand over the sink.
💡 Did you know ducks love to eat vegetables? Check out what vegetables you can feed your ducks with.
Is it safe to feed potatoes to ducks?
Potatoes are safe to feed ducks as long as they aren’t raw and don’t have any additional spices or condiments. Potatoes provide a good variety of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to the duck while giving it plenty of energy.
Can ducks eat sweet potatoes?
Ducks can eat sweet potatoes as long as they are cooked. You can either cook them in the oven or boil them. Although raw sweet potatoes don’t contain any solanine and don’t require any cooking, it would still be best to cook them before serving them to the ducks. Sweet potatoes are still tough and require some strength to chew to break down. Since ducks don’t chew food and swallow them whole, it would be best to chop the sweet potatoes and boil them before serving. Otherwise, there would be a choking hazard. It will also be easier for them to digest.
Can ducks eat baked potatoes?
Ducks can eat baked potatoes as long as you cook them and don’t add any butter or spices. My ducks enjoy baked potatoes very much, and every duck gets their own.
I make some holes with a fork and put them in the microwave for 15 minutes. If you have more baked potatoes, it will take longer. 1 baked potato (500g) takes about 10 minutes. When the potato has been cooked, I cut a cross on top to let more steam out. When it has cooled down, I make a small pit with the fork making it easy for them to eat the insides.
💡 Ducks enjoy fruit – learn more about which fruits to avoid to give to ducks here.
Can ducks eat chips?
It would be best if you didn’t offer storebought chips to ducks. Chips contain oils, salt, and preservatives. They are high in calories and don’t provide any beneficial nutrients for the duck.
However, you can make your own potato chips and offer them to them. I do my own chips every time since it’s much cheaper and I prefer the taste more. You can also chips out of carrots and apples with the same recipe below.
How to make potato chips for ducks
- Preheat the oven to 150° C or 302° F.
- While the oven heats up, you can slice the potatoes 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.
Ducks eat meat as well as vegetables. Ducks eat toads, slugs, insects and many more. Do you want to know more what animals ducks eat? Click here.
Can ducks eat french fries?
Ducks should not eat french fries. French fries are very fatty and don’t provide any beneficial nutrients for the ducks. French fries are junk food for both humans and ducks.
You can, however, make french fries especially made for ducks. They aren’t anything you would expect in a fancy restaurant, but they still are a fun treat for them. This works for both regular potatoes and sweet potatoes.
How to make french fries in the oven for ducks without oil
- Preheat the oven to 200° C / 392° F.
- Clean the potatoes.
- Cut the potatoes into french fries shapes. The skin don’t need to be removed.
- Put all the cut fries into a bowl of cold water and rinse them until you are able to see through the water and all starch is removed.
- Let the fries dry on a baking sheet. You can cover them with a kitchen paper for quicker.
- Place the french fries on a baking sheet on a plate. Ensure they aren’t on top of each other.
- Put them in the over for 30 minutes. But check and turm them every 10 minutes.
- When they are golden brown they are done.
If you are doing french fries for yourself, you may cover the fries in oil on step 5 and add salt in step 7.
Can ducks eat raw potatoes?
Ducks shouldn’t eat raw potatoes. Raw potatoes contain solanine which is toxic for them and will cause headaches, nausea, diarrhea, and sometimes even death. However, raw sweet potatoes don’t contain solanine but are still too hard to serve uncooked.
Do you wonder which leftovers you can feed ducks? Check out our resource here.
Can ducks eat mashed potatoes?
Ducks can eat mashed potatoes as long as there aren’t any milk, butter, or spices in the mashed potatoes. You can make homemade mashed potatoes for them. I don’t think you would enjoy it yourself, since it’s very bland. My ducks seem to enjoy it, though. I usually go for one potato per duck.
How to make mashed potatoes for ducks
- Peel the potatoes and rinse them.
- Boil the potatoes in unsalted water for 20 minutes.
- When the potatoes are done you move them from the pot into a bowl
- Save the cooking water.
- Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
- Add some of the cooking water to help it get it into a mashed potato texture.
- It’s ok if there are some small pieces of potato left.
- When you are feeling satisfied you are done.
It might be tempting to add milk and spices to it, but please don’t. Ducks shouldn’t consume dairy products or spices.
Can ducks eat potato peels?
Ducks can eat the potato peels, as long as it is cooked. It isn’t their favorite part of the potato and usually ends up last in their stomachs. It would be best if you didn’t offer uncooked potato skins to ducks since they may contain solanine that is harmful to the ducks. If you decide to offer your cooked potato skins to the ducks, ensure they are chopped into smaller pieces. Otherwise, there may be a choking hazard.
Can ducks eat mold or green potatoes?
You should never offer any molded food to ducks. Mold is toxic to both humans and ducks.
While the green color itself isn’t harmful, it does indicate the harmful toxin called solanine. The solanine can be removed by peeling the potato, but you shouldn’t risk it.
🌰 Ducks love to eat nuts! Do you wonder which nuts you can give ducks? Learn more here.
Can ducks eat the green potato leaves?
Ducks can not eat the plant or the green leaves of the potato. The green leaves contain solanine which is harmful to both ducks and humans. It would be best to put the plant and leaves on the compost for bacteria to consume it.
How often can ducks eat potatoes?
You can feed ducks with potatoes as often you would like. Potatoes have a lot of nutrients and vitamins while keeping the duck full. However, if you wish to feed them potatoes in their daily diet, it would be best to have portion control.
I usually try to give one potato per duck. One potato takes up a good amount of space in their stomach but still has some space left for other food and will encourage them to forage for other food and eat their regular pellets.
What are the best way to feed potatoes to ducks
There are different ways to feed ducks potatoes. Some may take a bit of preparation, and some take less. The best way is the one you can adapt into your life and would benefit the ducks.
Add the potatoes to their regular diet
When I cook food containing potatoes for the family, I usually add some extra potatoes for the next day. I boil the potatoes and let them cool during the night. The day after, I cut the potatoes using a mandolin. The potatoes are then added to the daily pellets feed. The ducks like it, and it keeps them busy.
Offer them a bowls of mashed potatoes
If you own some ducks in your backyard, you might want to treat them from time to time. Mashed potatoes are super easy to do, especially when you don’t need to think about consistency, spices, milk, and butter. Check out my mashed potato recipe for ducks above.
Small cubes spread over the garden
When I am lazy and have some boiled potatoes over, it may happen. I throw them out in the garden for the ducks to forage. I still keep portion control in mind and ensure they are easy to find to avoid attracting pests. The most important thing to have the potatoes cut up into smaller pieces. Not bigger than a regular dice.
Herbs are part of a duck’s natural diet. But do you know which herb they never should eat? Find out more here.
Health benefits from feeding bananas to ducks?
Potatoes are rich in vitamins, minerals, and nutrients and are very healthy for humans and ducks.
Potatoes contain Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and Vitamin C, which all are crucial in a duck’s diet.
Calcium in potatoes for ducks.
As most people know, Calcium helps to build stronger bones. Ducks require more Calcium than other birds since they use their legs more. They walk and swim far more than flying.
Iron in potatoes for ducks
Iron creates hemoglobin in the body which transports oxygen to different parts of the body.
Potassium in potatoes for ducks
Potassium helps to regulate the fluid balance and is also vital for transmitting nerve signals. Potassium is necessary for the function of all living cells.
Vitamin C in potatoes for ducks
Vitamin C both helps to build body tissues and works as an antioxidant.
Conclusion
Ducks can eat potatoes as long as they are cooked. However, they shouldn’t eat french fries or chips since they contain too much fat.
Ducks can eat regular’, baked- and also sweet potatoes.
It is vital you cut the potatoes into smaller shapes. I use, without exceptions, a mandolin for most of my cuttings. It helps me to add potatoes to the duck’s food quickly.
Potatoes contain Calcium, Iron, Potassium, and Vitamin C, which all are crucial in a duck’s diet.
Potatoes are completely safe to feed ducks. However, it is important to avoid certain things.
- Avoid feeding them too large pieces since it otherwise can suffocate them.
- Cook the potato before serving. Otherwise, they will consume solanine which is toxic.
- Don’t feed them french fries, chips or any other dish that has oil in it.
- Try to feed them maximum one potato per duck.
- Feed as often you would like, but not more than one potato a day.
- You shouldn’t only feed potatoes to your ducks. Mix it with pellets or their other regular food.
- You can make your own mashed potatoes for ducks, french fries for ducks or chips for ducks.
