Are you by any chance toying the idea of keeping ducks as pets? Before you dive into this idea, it is essential to know about the nutritional needs of your pet and what is right and what’s not suitable for it.
Let us first answer the question,
Can ducks eat bananas? Yes, ducks do eat bananas. They love bananas and most other kinds of fruits. Except for citrus fruits, you can feed them all kinds of fruits. From melons to berries to grapes, peaches, and plums, ducks relish all of these.
Ducks are the most comfortable birds to handle. You can be carefree to a vast extend when raising ducks.
They have amazing temperaments, are low on maintenance, lay good quality eggs, and, most importantly, are resilient to illness. The only offside of the ducks is that they are gluttons.
Is that piece of information giving you second thoughts?
Don’t be scared. They love food, as much as they love variety. You can feed them anything that’s easy to grow or pick up from the store. In this article, we shall tell you why banana is a good option for your feathered friends.
Banana, a healthy treat for your ducks
Ducks prefer food that is soft and mushy, and banana fits in that category well. Ducks can eat a variety of food, be it whole grains, fruits, vegetables, meat, etc. in addition to their layer feed.
A varied diet of healthy food makes ducks much healthier, and their eggs more nutritious. We often feed our ducks garden and kitchen scraps, both cooked and raw.
There are only a few food items they don’t consume, other than that they can eat anything that’s not wilted, bug eaten, moldy or spoiled.
Banana is a highly nutritious fruit not just for humans but for Ducks too. The best part about banana is that it has no seeds and pits. You can toss them to your ducks, and they shall eat it without any fuss.
Pits and seeds can have some traces of cyanide, which can be dangerous for the bird. Hence fruits with seeds like cherries, pear, apple, apricots, etc. are fed only after removing the seeds.
Seed removal is a tedious task; hence, banana is a perfect option to feed to your ducks. But, it should be fed only in moderation. Anything in excess can get their digestive system all wonky.
Banana contains a lot of natural sugars, which isn’t too good for the ducks daily. Once you feed them bananas or any other fruit, you’ll undoubtedly hear a lot of happy quacks.
Do Ducklings Consume Bananas?
Ducklings can also consume a wide variety of food items and treats, but they should be given to them in tiny pieces or a mushy form because ducklings can choke on big and hard food pieces.
Bananas and other fruits are loved by ducklings, too; mashed pieces can make your feathered pet bounce with joy. Just make sure your pet duck of any size or age should have fresh water and girt available around them.
Both water and girt help duck to digest the food.
Raising ducks from a day old to maturity is quite a tricky business. They can be easily handled, but there is a lot of work and effort that goes into bringing them up.
Keeping track of their nutrition intake is one major work in the case of ducks. If you want the duck to be healthy and her eggs to be good quality, you need to make sure what they are consuming and in how much quantity.
Along with the commercial duck food, you can also feed your ducks a variety of delicious treats and snacks.
Some treats, like vegetables which have tons of vitamins and minerals, and duck food can be fed every day to the ducks and other treats, like fruit (banana, melons, berries) or mealworms, should be saved for moments when the ducks have behaved well or more special occasions.
Ducks appreciate variety from time to time. It keeps them happy and in good physical shape.
How Should you Feed Your Ducks
Ducks eat a lot, but their caretaking isn’t hard. Feeding ducks doesn’t require any special equipment. When feeding them, the best option is to give them choices as ducks are quite selective when it comes to their food.
When the ducks are hungry, they will quack so loudly that you will hear them. Ducks can have about two cups of food either once or twice a day, depending upon the age of the duck.
There are many treats given to a duck that change the way the poop of the duck looks. By changes, we mean either the color changes or the consistency, or the odor of the poop depending on the water content or nutrition in the food. The moment these treats are stopped, the poop goes back to normal.
Feeding rich in color like carrots, beetroot, cherries, greens, and tomatoes will change the color of the ducks’ poop for a short time.
Feeding ducks foods with high water content like lettuce can make the duck’s poop watery, which may seem like the bird has diarrhea.
Feeding bananas, dairy products, rice can make the duck a little constipated, and if not, then the poop might look dryer and hard. Constipated State might not be welcome too often; hence such treats should be limited for only special occasions.
Can Ducks Consume the Banana with the Peels?
Yes, ducks can consume bananas with peels, but a majority of them don’t. Consuming the banana with the peel or without it is completely on the duck you are raising.
Every duck has its own tastes just like us humans. You can try feeding your ducks the peels but only after grinding them and cleaning them properly because they can be treated with pesticides, which can make your ducks really, really sick.
Banana’s Nutritional Content
Bananas are one of the essential crops in the whole world and are readily available everywhere. They are full of phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, and many other antioxidants.
The phosphorus in the bananas is good for the heart health of the duck. It also regulates blood pressure. Potassium, which is present in a high percentage in bananas, is the third most abundant element that is found in the bodies of many animals and birds.
Potassium is required for the functioning of the nerve cells and the muscles. Potassium maintains the acid-base balance in the body and also the optimal osmotic relationship.
In case there is potassium deficiency in young ducks, it results in abnormal bone development, even when there is enough vitamin D3 that the duck is getting from its diet.
When there is a deficiency of calcium or the element phosphorus, it can result in a lack of skeletal calcification.
Banana is rich in dietary fiber. It’s important in a ducks diet because it is utilized by the lactobacillus bacteria present in the duck’s body, which leads to the production of lactic acid.
Lactic acid production leads to a low pH, which is essential to maintain the normal microorganism population.
Also, fiber passes through the intestinal tract very slowly, which better digests the feed given to the ducks and also ensures microbial fermentation.
Good nutrition is extremely crucial to keep your ducks hale and hearty. Every duck should be fed with tasty and nutrient-rich food to meet their nutritional needs.
Related Questions
What should you not feed your ducks?
Ducks are big eaters and tend to consume all the food that comes their way. The owners of the ducks need to be careful when giving them certain foods because these aren’t good for ducks.
The medicated feeds are a complete no as they can have a toxic effect on the duck. Feeding oyster shells to non-egg laying ducks can cause kidney diseases in them.
Feeding them citrus fruits can lead to thinning of their eggshells; hence citrus fruits should also be avoided entirely.
Can ducks eat bread?
Yes, ducks can eat bread. Bread isn’t toxic to them. Giving bread to your ducks is discouraged because it can make them feel full without their body getting any nutrients. You can feed your duck bread but only in a very limited quantity.
Can ducks eat chocolates?
No, ducks cannot eat chocolates as they contain a high amount of sugar, a substance called theobromine, and caffeine that we get from the cacao bean. Many pets like dogs and cats love chocolates but are susceptible to chocolate poisoning. Chocolate can be fatal for livestock like goats, calves, and ducks.