Can Ducks Eat Soybeans?

Soybeans are foods humans have eaten for thousands of years and helped us stay alive as a species. Soybeans come in many different shapes and forms, like edamame, tofu, tempeh, etc. Soybeans are high in protein and have a lot of nutrients which is beneficial for most of us. What about other animals – do they also benefit from eating soy? I did some research a while back and found this.

Ducks can eat soybeans and benefit greatly from them. Soybeans contain a lot of protein which is important in the duck’s health. Ducks can eat cooked soybeans, edamame, tofu, and tempeh in moderation. Uncooked beans are toxic, and you will need to boil them first.

Soybeans are an excellent source of Zink, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, and other nutrients the duck requires. For not mentioning the 34% of protein and 15% of fibers.

Soybeans are the only vegetable that contains all nine essential amino acids while having zero cholesterol and a low amount of saturated fat.

Can ducks eat soybeans?

Ducks benefit from eating soybeans in their daily diet. Ducks need food high in protein and a lot of calcium and potassium. However, it is important to never feed uncooked soybeans to your ducks since they are toxic. Uncooked beans contain a protein called lectin, which is harmful to ducks and other animals.

The easiest and cheapest way to incorporate soybeans into your duck’s diet is to make tofu and give it to your ducks. Tofu is made from soaked soybeans that have been ground and then cooked to make a thick “milk,” which then are pressed into blocks. The block of tofu can be crumbled in your hand and shared among the ducks.

Table compairing nutrients in uncooked soybeans to cooked soybeans per 100g

Nutrient (unit)	Uncooked soybeans	Cooked soybeans
Weight standard (g)	100	100
Energy (kcal)	398	128
Energy (kJ)	1666	536
Carbohydrates (g)	18.3	5.8
Fat (g)	17.7	5.7
Protein (g)	34	11
Fiber (g)	15.3	5
Water (g)	10	71
Alcohol (g)	0	0
Ashes (g)	4.7	1.5
Monosaccharides (g)	3.7	1.2
Disaccharides (g)	2.4	0.8
Sucrose (g)	2.4	0.8
Sugars (g)	6.1	2
Total saturated fatty acids (g)	2.45	0.79
Fatty acid 4: 0-10: 0 (g)	0	0
Lauric acid C12: 0 (g)	0.02	0.01
Myristic acid C14: 0 (g)	0.03	0.01
Palmitic acid C16: 0 (g)	1.66	0.54
Stearic acid C18: 0 (g)	0.67	0.21
Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g)	0.05	0.02
Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g)	4.23	1.36
Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g)	0.03	0.01
Oleic acid C18: 1 (g)	4.16	1.34
Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g)	9.88	3.18
Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g)	8.65	2.79
Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g)	1.23	0.4
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)	1.1	0.21
Riboflavin (mg)	0.31	0.09
Vitamin C (mg)	0	0
Niacin (mg)	2.2	0.6
Niacin equivalents (NE / mg)	7.87	2.43
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.81	0.27
Vitamin B12 (µg)	0	0
Folate (µg)	375	54
Retinol (µg)	0	0
Vitamin A (RE/µg)	4	1.5
β-Karoten (µg)	48	18
Vitamin D (µg)	0	0
Vitamin E (mg)	0.85	0.28
Vitamin K (µg)	N/A	N/A
Phosphorus (mg)	550	179
Iodine (µg)	N/A	0
Iron (mg)	8.4	2.7
Calcium (mg)	225	73
Potassium (mg)	1700	540
Magnesium (mg)	265	88
Sodium (mg)	5	2
Salt (g)	0.01	0.01
Selenium (µg)	2	1
Zinc (mg)	4.9	1.2
Cholesterol (mg)	0	0
Whole grains total (g)	0	0
Waste (shell etc.) (%)	0	0

Can ducklings eat soybeans?

Ducklings can eat soybeans, but not in their first four weeks. Ducklings need to eat their duckling feed in the beginning. However, you can start incorporating soybeans gradually into their diet after that. However, it’s important not to overfeed soybeans to ducks or ducklings. Soy contains a lot of protein, and if fed too much of it over time may cause angelwing.

🌽 Ducks also enjoy vegetables. Check what vegetables ducks can eat here.

Do ducks like soybeans?

Ducks like to eat soybeans, and especially in the tofu format. They do eat cooked soybeans but prefer tofu since it’s much easier to ingest. When feeding normally cooked soybeans, it’s recommended to add some vegetables or fruits. That way, you can secure they receive all required nutrients in their diet. A popular mix usually is soy, oats, and broccoli.

🍖 Did you know ducks are omnivores and eat other animals? Find out what meat you can give to ducks.

Can ducks eat uncooked soybeans?

Ducks can’t eat uncooked soybeans. As with other uncooked beans, they contain the protein lectin, which is toxic to ducks. You will need to boil the beans first for the lectin to be removed.

Can ducks eat cooked soybeans?

Ducks can eat cooked soybeans. According to NutritionFacts, you will need to boil them for a minimum of 45 minutes to remove all lectins. It would help the ducks if the beans also are blended or ground in a food processor.

If you have uncooked soybeans, you need to soak them before boiling them for 8-10 hours. Change the water before boiling and rinse the beans in between.

🍔 Ducks can eat many foods, including the things in your fridge. Get to know what human foods you can give ducks.

Can ducks eat soybean pods?

Soybean pods are the pods in which edamame beans grow. Each pod holds a various number of beans, but the general is 2 to 3 beans per pod. The pods themselves shouldn’t be consumed by humans nor ducks. They are tough and don’t provide any nutritional value. While humans can eat the edamame raw, ducks will need the beans to be cooked first to remove the lectin.

💡 Check out what human foods ducks can eat here – with 85 examples

Can ducks eat edamame beans?

Edamame beans are the green immature soybeans found in pods. Often, used in Asian cuisine.

Edamame has the highest amount of lectins among soybeans and needs to be cooked before being eaten. For humans, it’s only necessary to cook them for 3-5 minutes, but for ducks, you will need to give a minimum of 10 minutes of boiling at 212° F (100° C). Edamame is usually pretty big, so it is required to ground them up before serving. If they are in their pods, you will need to remove the pod before boiling them.

Can ducks eat frozen soybeans?

Ducks can eat frozen soybeans as long they have been cooked and defrosted. If you have soybeans as leftovers, they can be frozen and eaten at a later time.

🌱 Herbs is a staple food for wild ducks. Learn more what herbs you can give ducks here.

Can ducks eat moldy soybeans?

You should never feed ducks or any animal moldy food. Mold is toxic to both humans and animals. The mold doesn’t need to be eaten to be causing a problem. Inhaling the mold spores can also be harmful to animals. If you have moldy food, throw it away or add it to your compost.

Can ducks eat canned soybeans?

Ducks can eat canned soybeans if there aren’t any salt or preservatives added to the can. You will need to rinse them thoroughly and cook the beans for at least 45 minutes before serving them to your ducks. When the beans are soaked, they have doubled in size from all the water. You will need to ground them up into smaller pieces before feeding them to your ducks to minimize the risk of choking.

🐇 Did you know that ducks and rabbits can share food? Learn what fodders ducks can eat.

Safe ways of feeding soybeans to ducks

You can feed soybeans safely to ducks in many different ways. Ducks like to eat their soybeans as mushy as possible but prefer them in a tofu state.

Ducks can eat soybeans cooked, as tofu, and as tempeh, but never raw. Raw or uncooked soybeans are too hard for them and contain lectin, which is toxic.

The easiest way to prepare soybeans for your ducks is to soak them, cook them, and ground them. In that way, you ensure the lectins are removed, they are easy to swallow, minimize the risk of choking and make it easier for the ducks to digest the beans.

1. Feeding tofu to your ducks

Tofu is a perfect way to add protein to both your and your duck’s diet. Tofu has 8g of protein, 4.8g of fat, and 1.9g of carbohydrates.

You can buy tofu from the store already packed. Usually, they come in packs of 250g or 500g and different textures. From silky to extra firm. Ducks can eat both kinds. However, there is more water content in silky tofu, so I recommend choosing the extra firm to avoid the ducks will develop diarrhea.

You can make your own tofu and feed it to your ducks. It’s much cheaper and doesn’t require much of you. You can crumble up the tofu in your hands, making small pieces.

How to make your own tofu for ducks

2. Feeding cooked soybeans

This is the cheapest and easiest, and quickest method to give your ducks soybeans.

You will only need to soak the beans for 10-12 hours, boil them for one hour, and then ground them up into smaller pieces.

When you soak soybeans, they will more than double in size, which can make them a bit too large for the ducks to eat. The best practice is to use a food processor and ground them up into smaller pieces.

It’s perfect for blending the soybeans into their regular food or put in a bucket of water.

3. Feeding your ducks Tempeh

Tempeh might be unfamiliar to some. Tempeh isn’t that well-known as tofu has come to be.

Tempeh is fermented soybeans that have been cooked. When preparing Tempeh, you will need to use a bit of vinegar. Vinegar is acidic, which isn’t too good for ducks to have much of. However, there’s only a small amount added, and you can add a lot of alkaline foods alongside the tempeh. Some alkaline foods ducks can eat are carrots, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cucumbers, kale, asparagus, and seaweed.

Make sure to feed tempeh in moderation since it’s made for human consumption and made of edible mold. The best way to feed tempeh to your ducks is to shred it to their other food or add it to a bucket of water.

100g of soybeans in different shapes

	Protein	Fat	Carbohydrates
Tofu	8g	4.8g	1.9g
Tempeh	19g	11g	9g
Cooked soybeans	11g	5.7g	5.8g

🥜 Ducks need fat in their diet and nuts is an excellent food for that. Some nuts are dangerous for ducks to eat. Learn what nuts ducks can eat.

Unsafe ways to feed soybeans to ducks

It’s possible to make some mistakes when you are feeding soybeans to your ducks.

Below are five typical mistakes when you are feeding soybeans to ducks.

1. The soybeans are too big.

When you buy canned soybeans or soak dried soybeans from the store, they usually swell up 2-3 times their original size. The beans are too big for the duck’s mouths and can be a choking hazard. It would be best to use a food processor or similar to ground them up before serving. You can also use a regular potato masher, but the pieces become much smaller when using a machine.

2. The soybeans aren’t cooked.

Soybeans and other beans need to be cooked before being given to ducks. Uncooked, they contain a protein called lectin, which is harmful to them. Soybeans need to be cooked for at least 45minutes and soaked for 10-12 hours.

3. The soybeans have grown mold.

Like other foods, also soybeans grow mold when they are getting old. If you notice that your soybeans have small white parts, you need to throw them away immediately.

4. Feeding too much soybeans.

It’s easy to go overboard when you are feeding soybeans to your ducks. However, when feeding such protein-dense food, you will need to feed in moderation. A too high intake of protein over time can cause angelwing, a deformity among ducks, where the wing stands up all the time—another risk factor when feeding too many soybeans and other foods are the risk of becoming overweight.

5. Feeding miscolored beans.

Before soaking your beans, it’s always recommended to do a quick check of the beans if any look odd. Soybeans usually have a couple of miscolored ones you can discard.

How much soybeans can you feed your ducks?

The amount of soybeans you can feed your ducks is determined by the other foods in your duck’s diet. If you add soybeans to the duck’s diet you will need to do adjustments to other foods in their diet. Otherwise, the ducks will become overweight if they are fed a caloric surplus.

My six ducks share a 500g tofu block each day. That’s roughly 80 grams of tofu per duck per day which is around 100 calories and 6-8grams of protein each. Each duck has a caloric budget of 1400kcal per day, which they fill with duck pellets, vegetables, and other small animals they forage.

How often can you feed soybeans to your ducks?

You can feed ducks soybeans as often as you like, as long as you do it in moderation. It’s important to not overdoing it, since a too high amount of protein can cause angelwing and too many calories can make them overweight.

You can feed ducks soybeans, daily, weekly, monthly – as long as you update their other food intake accordingly.

Health benefits for ducks from eating soybeans

Soybeans are an excellent source of many different nutrients. Soybeans contain Zinc, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, and many other important nutrients. Not only do they carry various minerals and vitamins, but they also have all nine essential amino acids, which makes them a complete protein.

Zinc in soybeans for ducks

Zinc helps the immune system and metabolism function. Zinc is also crucial for wound healing and the sense of taste and smell. Foods rich in zinc ducks can eat oysters, lentils, tofu, oatmeal, and mushrooms.

Iron in soybeans for ducks

Iron is important for hemoglobin formation, brain function, muscle function, and much more. Iron is found in sweet potatoes, peas, oats, and tofu.

Potassium in soybeans for ducks

Potassium is paramount in a duck’s diet. Potassium retains fluid, builds muscle, regulates sugar, and lots more. Potassium is found in bananas, carrots, peas, lentils, and soybeans.

Magnesium in soybeans for ducks

Magnesium is important for healthy bones, a healthy heart, better sleep, and energy production. Magnesium can be found in brown rice, potatoes, and soybeans.

Phospohorus in soybeans for ducks

Phosphorus helps to maintain healthy bones and teeth, aids in keeping the kidney healthy, regulates the balance of hormones, and much more. Phosphorus can be found in green beans, nuts, soy, and legumes.

Vitamin A in soybeans for ducks

Vitamin A helps to build the immune system, promotes muscle growth, and vision improvement. Vitamin A is found in carrots, tuna, lettuce, red bell peppers, and broccoli.

🍐 Ducks love to eat fruits, but there are some fruits, like pineapples, you should give in moderate amounts. Learn what fruits you can give to ducks here.

Conclusion

Ducks can eat soybeans and it’s good for them. Ducklings can eat soybeans after they’ve turned four weeks of age. Until then, ducklings need to eat their regular duckling pellets.

Soybeans shouldn’t exchange duck’s regular diet but can be an excellent addition.

Soybeans are high in protein which is great for growing ducks and keeping the ducks feel full.

Ducks like to eat soybeans in different shapes and sizes. Cooked, tofu and tempeh are examples of foods made of soybeans ducks can eat. They should never eat uncooked beans since they contain lectins.

You can feed ducks soybeans as often as you like, as long as you do it in moderation. It’s important to not overdoing it, since a too high amount of protein can cause angelwing and too many calories can make them overweight.

Soybeans contain Zinc, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Vitamin A, and many other important nutrients including all nine essential amino acids which make soybeans a complete protein.

You

I hope you learned something reading this article, and try to implement soy into your ducks diet, and maybe your own?