Whether
they are farm animals or pets, treats are enjoyed by all. Ducks are
no different. Want to make their day? Listed below are our Top 5
Treats Your Ducks Will Love. After dispensing these treats, you'll
believe your ducks are better fed than you are!
Word
of Note
Remember,
these are treats and should not be a large part of your ducks' daily
feed. Doing so can and will unbalance their nutritional intake from
their regular feed.
Snails,
Bugs and Slugs
Ducks love
slugs, snails, flies, earwigs – you name it, they'll eat it. We
notice fewer flies in our duck buildings than our goose buildings
because ducks chase after them! We have even sold ducks to citrus
orchards to keep snails under control. They are especially good at
eating mosquitoes, ticks, and other pesky insects, so they double as
bug control. If your birds can't go after the bugs, you can always
take the bugs to them. Collect all those snails and dump them in the
duck pen. They will be gone almost immediately. Or give them
purchased treats such as crickets that can be found at many feed and
pet stores.
If you
really want to give the little guys a treat, worms are a fan
favorite. We offer Happy Hen Treats which are freeze-dried meal
worms! They slurp them up like spaghetti.
Fruits
Strawberries,
blueberries, grapes, bananas, apples, peaches, pears, and other such
berries and fruits are amazing treats for your ducks. Make sure to
cut them up into bite-sized pieces. Just stay away from the citrus
fruits like oranges and lemons.
Melons are
also a great treat. I have it on good authority that ducks love
watermelon. So when you're having some during the summer, cut a slice
for your ducks! They'll love you for it.
Vegetables
While
vegetables could already be a part of your duck's daily diet, there
are a few they especially like. Peas, lettuce, carrots, corn, swiss
chard, cucumber, zucchini, leeks, cabbage, and other such green
veggies are great treats.
Don't have
veggies? Most yard cuttings such as grass and weeds are considered
good eats. No need to worry about what to do with dandelions as they
will gobble them up along with other edible flowers and weeds you
have.
Dairy
Feeding
eggs to ducks might seem counter intuitive, but they have a whole
bunch of vitamins and proteins from which they can benefit. Give them
a hard boiled egg and watch them go at it.
Meats
Meats are
rich in protein and, while ducks can eat them, make sure to offer
them sparingly. Small pieces of cooked chicken, beef, and pork are
excellent little tidbits for them to eat. Fish is, of course, a
favorite.
Want to
let your ducks have some fun? Release some feeder fish like mosquito
fish or tiny minnows into a kiddy pool and let them dive after the
critters. Food and exercise at the same time!
My ducks and geese LOVE this time of year as it is garden clean up time! When frost hits, the garden is done, and the ducks and geese get to go in and boy do they love those frosted tomatoes and peppers! Even the hot peppers!
ReplyDeleteDuring harvest season, they are my clean up crew for cherries, berries and apples. Anything too wormy or unsuitable for humans...they take care of so that I do not have to worry about cleaning up the fallen fruit to prevent infestations of bugs.