Can Ducks Eat Sunflower Seeds?

Sunflower seeds are a very popular seed in the bird family and have been for thousands of years. Like many other seeds, they carry many nutrients and calories, which can help them during cold weather and scarce times. But can all ducks eat sunflower seeds, and is there something harmful about them? I did some research.

Ducks can eat sunflower seeds regardless if they are black oil or striped sunflower seeds. The seeds can be eaten roasted or unroasted and don’t need to be deshelled. However, never salted. Sunflower seeds provide an excellent variety of vitamins and minerals that ducks and other birds benefit from.

Sunflower seeds are with 618 calories per 100 grams, pretty high on the caloric side. This benefits the ducks during the cold months when they require more energy to stay warm. During warmer months, when they don’t require as many calories feeding sunflower seeds and other high-caloric seeds should be done in moderation.

Can ducks eat sunflower seeds?

Ducks can eat sunflower seeds and benefit from doing so. You should give the seeds in moderation due to their calorific count. If the ducks can’t use all energy from the calories they eat, the excess will be converted into fat, making them overweight. However, a daily dosage of sunflower is beneficial for them as long as you practice moderation.

Sunflower seeds are pretty high in many nutrients and especially some vitamins. Thiamin, Vitamin E, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc are examples of vitamins and minerals found in sunflower seeds that benefit the duck’s health.

Nutrients in 100g of sunflower seeds

Nutrient (unit)	Sunflower seeds
Weight standard (g)	100
Energy (kcal)	618
Energy (kJ)	2584
Carbohydrates (g)	3.9
Fat (g)	56.1
Protein (g)	20.61
Fiber (g)	11.5
Water (g)	4.4
Alcohol (g)	0
Ashes (g)	3.5
Monosaccharides (g)	0
Disaccharides (g)	2.9
Sucrose (g)	2.9
Sugars (g)	2.9
Total saturated fatty acids (g)	4.9
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)	2.9
Stearic acid C18: 0 (g)	1.61
Arachidic acid C20: 0 (g)	0.09
Total monounsaturated fatty acids (g)	18.33
Palmitic acid C16: 1 (g)	0
Oleic acid C18: 1 (g)	18.33
Total polyunsaturated fatty acids (g)	30.14
Linoleic acid C18: 2 (g)	30.14
Linolenic acid C18: 3 (g)	0
Arachidonic acid C20: 4 (g)	0
EPA (C20:5) (g)	0
DPA (C22:5) (g)	0
DHA (C22:6) (g)	0
Tiamin (mg)	1.31
Riboflavin (mg)	0.2
Vitamin C (mg)	0
Niacin (mg)	2.88
Niacin equivalents (NE / mg)	6.3
Vitamin B6 (mg)	0.57
Vitamin B12 (µg)	0
Folate (µg)	151
Retinol (µg)	0
Vitamin A (RE/µg)	1.2
β-Karoten (µg)	15
Vitamin D (µg)	0
Vitamin E (mg)	40
Vitamin K (µg)	0
Phosphorus (mg)	670
Iodine (µg)	0
Iron (mg)	5.72
Calcium (mg)	91.6
Potassium (mg)	755
Magnesium (mg)	320
Sodium (mg)	0
Salt (g)	0
Selenium (µg)	15.42
Zinc (mg)	7.02
Cholesterol (mg)	0
Whole grains total (g)	0
Waste (shell etc.) (%)	51

🍒 Fruits is a staple for most ducks. Sadly, ducks can’t eat all fruits. Do you know what fruits ducks can eat?

Can ducklings eat sunflower seeds?

Ducklings can eat sunflower seeds after they have grown to four weeks of age. It would also be good if the ducklings waited a couple of weeks more before starting to eat the seeds. In the early stage of life, they need more protein to be able to grow. There is 22% protein in duckling pellets, which is an excellent protein percentage to aim for in the early stage. However, when they grow to become adult ducks, you can decrease the percentage to 15-17%.

Do ducks like to eat sunflower seeds?

Ducks love to eat sunflower seeds. They are easy to ingest and seem to taste good. When mixed with other foods and water, the ducks eat it like there was no day tomorrow. However, it’s always important to feed in moderation and mix with other nuts and seeds ducks can eat. I would recommend feeding the seeds inside a bucket of water or outside since ducks loiter particularly much when eating sunflower seeds.

Can ducks eat raw sunflower seeds?

Ducks can eat sunflower seeds, and they don’t need to be roasted. The most important thing to be aware of when feeding sunflower seeds to your ducks is to do it in moderation. Unlike other nuts and seeds like peanuts, the sunflowers don’t need to be roasted.

🥬 Vegetables are an excellent way to provide nutrients to your ducks. Find out what vegetables ducks can eat.

Can ducks eat roasted sunflower seeds?

Ducks can eat roasted and raw sunflower seeds. There are two things to consider when feeding roasted sunflower seeds to ducks—moderation and unsalted. Due to the high number of calories in sunflower seeds, You should feed them in small quantities. It can be a bit increased during colder months. You will also need to avoid feeding them salted sunflower seeds. A too high intake of sodium can dehydrate the duck, causing them kidney problems.

Can ducks eat the shells of sunflower seeds?

Ducks can eat the sunflower seed shells, and you don’t need to deshell them. If you have a lot of shells from sunflower seeds, they can be used as mulch in gardens. The shells are allelopathic, which means they inhibit other plants from growing, for example, weeds. Speaking of weeds, do you know what herbs ducks can eat? Weeds are one of them.

🦑 Ducks are omnivores which means they eat both animals and plants. Do you know what animals ducks like to eat?

Can ducks eat moldy sunflower seeds?

You should never feed ducks or any other animal moldy food. Mold is toxic and can be lethal to them. The fumes can harm them only by inhaling the fungus spores from the mold. If you have moldy food, throw it out or add it to your compost.

Safe ways to feed sunflower seeds to ducks

The best ways of feeding sunflower seeds to ducks are the safest. The reason we feed our ducks is we want them to be happy and not be harmed. To reduce the risk of harm, there are some ways you can safely feed sunflower seeds. Below are three ways of doing so.

1. Feed sunflower seeds in moderation

Sunflower seeds Feed sunflower seeds in moderation. Sunflower seeds are one of the most caloric-dense foods you can give your birds. With 618 calories per 100g, they almost take up half of the duck’s caloric budget for the day. If you want to feed your ducks sunflower seeds (and you should), make sure to not overfeed them. 10 grams per duck per day is good to aim for. That’s roughly 3½ US teaspoons and gives the ducks around 60 calories.

2. Add the sunflower seeds to their food

If your ducks aren’t keen on the idea of eating sunflower seeds, you might want to add them to their regular foods or mix them with other seeds and nuts they can eat – for example, walnuts and peanuts.

3. Add the sunflower seeds to water

Ducks prefer to eat their food in water, especially if there are bigger pieces. The water helps them to swallow it easier and decreases the risk of asphyxia.

🍖 Did you know ducks can eat human foods? Find out what food you can give ducks here.

Unsafe ways to feed sunflower seeds to ducks

It’s easy to mess up sometimes, and duck feeding is not an exception. Everyone messes up, and it’s frowned upon to do so when you are a duck owner rookie.

Four unsafe ways to avoid when feeding ducks sunflower seeds.

1. Feeding too much sunflower seeds to ducks

Sunflower seeds are easy to add to your duck’s diet. Just grab some and throw a bunch of them out to your ducks. When you aren’t practicing portion control and overfeed your ducks – they may risk becoming either under or overweight. Using a digital scale and measure the food is very important to ensure they receive the correct amount. I meal prep on Sunday every week and prepare the upcoming week’s food. I measure 10 grams of sunflower seeds per day and duck and usually mix it with their daily oats and vegetables.

2. Feeding sunflowers too often to ducks

Perhaps both as a food and as a treat. You can feed sunflower seeds, both as a staple as well as a treat. It might be tempting to feed your ducks sunflowers seeds often since they like it so much. However, you will need to calculate the calories and the other nutrients in their diet so they won’t become overweight and malnourished.

3. Feeding sunflowers in their bath water

It might be a fun idea to throw sunflower seeds to the ducks in the park’s bathwater. Ducks prefer to eat their food in water since it helps them to ingest it easier. However, throwing food into their pond may cause algae growth. If the duck won’t see the seed, and it sinks to the bottom and dissolves, it will cause algae to grow. When a certain alga starts to grow more than other algae species, it might disrupt the ecosystem below the surface and cause problems for biodiversity.

How often should I feed sunflower seeds to my ducks?

You can feed sunflower seeds to your ducks as often as you would like, as long as you do it in moderation and adjust the other food in their diet. If you increase something, you will need to decrease something else. The limitations are the caloric budget your ducks have. There a people who feed sunflower seeds or other nuts and seeds daily, while others feed less frequently. It all comes down to what other foods there are in your duck’s diet.

🌿 Herbs is an excellent food for ducks. Find out what herbs you can feed to your ducks here.

How many sunflower seeds can I feed my ducks?

The amount of sunflower seeds you can give your ducks is determined by the other foods in your duck’s diet. If they already have a high caloric diet, you will need to decrease something else. Myself, aim for ten grams of seeds per duck a day and give them a great mix of other foods.

Health benefits for ducks from eating sunflower seeds

Sunflower seeds are pretty high in many nutrients and especially some vitamins. Thiamin, Vitamin E, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc are examples of vitamins and minerals found in sunflower seeds that benefit the duck’s health.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) in sunflower seeds for ducks

Thiamin helps prevent complications in the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart, stomach, and intestines. It also helps to convert food to energy. Foods rich in Thiamin ducks can eat are cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, rice, peas, tofu, and asparagus.

Vitamin E in sunflower seeds for ducks

Vitamin E improves muscle strength, boosts the immune system, improves vision, and much more. Sunflowers seeds have really high amounts of vitamin e compared to other foods. Foods rich in vitamin e ducks can eat are sunflower seeds, nuts, broccoli, mango, olive oil, and kiwis.

Iron in sunflower seeds 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.

Phosphorus in sunflower seeds for ducks

Phosphorus helps the ducks keep their kidneys healthy, maintains bone health, aids in digestion, and eliminates muscle weakness and fatigue. Foods rich in phosphorus ducks can eat are nuts, green beans, soy, legumes, and sunflower seeds.

Magnesium in sunflower seeds 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.

Zinc in sunflower seeds for ducks

Zinc helps the duck with improving their memory, muscle mass, curing diarrhea, and prevents inflammation. Foods rich in zinc that ducks can eat are mushrooms, oats, tofu, nuts, and seeds.

🌰 Ducks love sunflower seeds, but do you know what other nuts and seeds ducks like to eat?

Conclusion

Ducks can eat sunflower seeds, and they like them. It doesn’t matter whether there are black oil or striped sunflower seeds. Ducks can eat them raw and roasted. The seeds don’t need to be deshelled.

Ducklings can eat sunflower seeds but shouldn’t until they have grown at least four weeks.

Sunflower seeds are pretty high in calories, which require feeding in moderation to avoid turning the ducks overweight. Not only are sunflower seeds high in calories, but they also are high in other nutrients-especially some vitamins. Thiamin, Vitamin E, Iron, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc are examples of vitamins and minerals found in sunflower seeds that benefit the duck’s health.

You can feed sunflower seeds to your ducks as often as you would like, as long as you do it in moderation and adjust the other food in their diet.

The amount of sunflower seeds you can give your ducks is determined by the other foods in your duck’s diet. If they already have a high caloric diet, you will need to decrease something else.