Snacks for Ducks

by | May 25, 2021 | Ducks

Favorite Snacks for Ducks

What are some great snacks for ducks? Every duck loves a tasty treat like a mealworm, grub or bowl of peas.  However, it is important that they do not get too many snacks.  For instance, a snack is a special treat a couple of times per week at most.  It can be very easy to give them way too many snacks that lead to a poor diet.  This results in health complications and even a reduction in egg production.  Remember never to give your pet ducks or the ducks at the local park pond bread.  It lacks the nutrition they need and there are so many options available that they will devour, it is not needed.

List of popular duck snacks

Make sure that on most days your ducks are only receiving a proper grain feed with 17% protein.  When raising ducklings have fun mixing up the snacks over the course of a month.  This delivers a real diversity to their diet.  We let our ducks roam large sections of the yard so they keep the slug and other bug populations down.  Every time we turn the compost pile the ducks are ready to root out any worms that are near the surface.  These “natural” snacks are important for their wellbeing from a diet perspective and just being happy ducks.  Nothing like seeing a duck find a big slug in the garden and run around wagging its butt in pure glee as it chomps and chews.

Here are the 3 welsh harlequins enjoying a watermelon chunk on a cold winter morning.

Whether your flock is chickens or ducks they will enjoy snacks from time to time.  Diversify their diet and let them enjoy both foraged items from the food forest garden and things that you provide specifically to mix up their routine.

Should you feed your ducks snacks?

Ducks should receive a diverse diet.  Ultimately, it is important that the ducks are given ample amount of feed with the proper amount of protein they require for their current growth stage.  Duck feed for ducklings, juveniles, and egg laying mature birds is different.  However, it is perfectly fine to supplement their feed with snacks.  Do these sparingly during the duckling and grower phase.

Once ducks are mature adults feel free to let them roam the gardens eating snacks they can find in the edges.  Add some fruit like watermelon to give them something fun to eat.