For ducks, french fries cannot be a wise pick to feed. It can be even life-threatening for the avians.
So, it’s useless to ask, can ducks eat french fries? No, not recommended. Ducks can eat french fries as they’re omnivores. But please, no french fries for them! Remember, foods with added spices, salt, and cooking oil are never a good pick. It can cause overweight, obesity, and kidney problems for ducks. In fact, salt overdose even leads them to die!
I guess, now you know the consequence severity of feeding french fries to poultry livestock. We will have more elaborate stuff on this matter here in this article. So, keep on reading!
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Can Ducks Eat French Fries? No, These are Death Food!
My answer is a no for ducks. But they can eat it and feeding them french fries on rare occasions seems not to be that bad. Anyway, human food like french fries, or chicken fries comes with added spices and all that. These will directly affect them!
Why are French Fries Unsafe?
French fries are completely unsafe for the avian community. If I talk about nutrition, it can’t have a strong response. With a high ratio of added salt and cooking oil french fries can’t be a safe pick. Plus, french fries are high-carb food. We know what carbohydrate overconsumption can do to your ducks.
However, being unsafe doesn’t mean death. I’m not saying these are like poisons for them, if they eat, they will die. But it will severely hamper their health. In rare cases, death might arrive.
Let’s see what Harvard researchers said about if we overconsuming french fries:
According to them, eating french fries more than twice a week can double the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. Although the research was on around 4,400 adult humans. Still isn’t it make sense why you shouldn’t feed french fries to your ducks?
But wait, it’s not just French fries – Ducks can’t eat any fries at all! You may find our study on ducks and fries on our website.
Are French Fries a Death Food For Ducks? Remembering the Mass Duck Death in North Dakota
Yes! Wondering how? Let’s analyze an incident that happened in North Dakota.
In 1987, around 150 ducks died suddenly and almost double amount of them got lethargic and weak. After studying the situation, it was discovered that they had been drinking salty water for a few days.
They actually died because of salt poisoning. They had high saline intake which turned out to be kind of poisonous for them.
Now, human foods that contain added salt can cause disruption of the electrolyte balance of ducks. As a result, cellular functionality and fluid balance get interrupted.
Excessive French fries consumption can lead to your ducks in the same state. Once their inner functionality gets blocked, they’ll face fatal consequences. So yes, french fries are potentially a death food for ducks!
Can Baby Ducks Eat French Fries? No Way!
Of course not! Where even the adult ducks should not take french fries, how come it be considered for baby ducks? The funny insight is, that french fries come with a sufficient amount of protein for ducklings.
But still, do not feed them french fries. Their sensitive digestive system won’t take it easily and may show disobedience. So, no french fries to ducklings, no suffer!
French Fries Nutritional Value For Ducks: Below Average
Now, let’s have a look at the nutritional composition of french fries from McDonald’s.
| Nutrient | Amount (per 100g) | Verdict for Ducks |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 36.6 g | Moderate |
| Energy | 323 kcal | Excessive (High) |
| Protein | 3.41 g | Sufficient |
| Lipid (Fat) | 15.5 g | High |
| Ash | 1.91 g | Sufficient |
| Carbohydrates | 42.6 g | High |
| Fiber | 3.9 g | Insufficient |
| Sugars | 0.21 g | Sufficient |
| Sucrose | 0.21 g | Sufficient |
See, french fries are never an ideal option for ducks in terms of nutrition. It doesn’t come with a lot of nutrients for ducks like watermelon brings, for example.
Neither does it come with a sufficient amount of other nutrients like fiber, and sucrose. It contains either excessive amounts or literally zero nutrition.
Are French Fries Completely prohibited for Ducks?
I can’t say french fries are prohibited for ducks. Did you know, a duck is seen enjoying french fries from McDonald’s? Yes, I have seen this video through news by the famous newspaper in the UK, the Daily Mail.
However, first things first, these are not prohibited. You can feed french fries to your ducks. But, be very cautious about the ideality of the amount. Your ducks gonna love it but we should be careful for their welfare.
See the video on how they enjoy being omnivore birds near any food.
For instance, do not give them an entire box of Mcdonalds’. Instead, give them like 3, or 4 slices, and monitor their reaction. If anything seems to be wrong, stop feeding them french fries.
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Bottom Line
So, can ducks eat french fries? French fries aren’t for ducks and their adorable babies. That is the hypothesis that I have illustrated throughout the study. But it’s not prohibited, I meant I can’t say that.
There’s evidence that ducks can eat french fries. So, you may feed them, but be cautious about the quantity, like test them by giving 3, or 4 slices first. However, can you tell me why are you so serious about feeding french fries to your feathered buddies?
Sources and References:
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/in-defense-of-french-fries-2019020615893
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3625905/
