14 Types of Food Not To Feed Your Ducks (Especially Avocado)

As a poultry or pet duck owner, you must bring them food they are comfortable with. And yeah, you must avoid some things that can put them in danger.

But what are the things not to feed your ducks? Ducks must avoid foods such as avocado, bread, citrus fruits, large nuts and seeds, moldy foods, nightshade veggies, and others. All the things bear toxicity or cause difficulty while ducks consume. Avocados can even kill your ducks!

Ducks are omnivores, so they won’t care about eating anything they find interesting. Therefore, you need to be careful and follow the advice I note. And near the concluding section, you’ll also have the safe food list!

14 Things NOT To Feed Your Ducks: Why They Are Unsafe?

Ducks are usually fond of natural food sources like aquatic plants, insects, small fish, or other wild or yard greens. But when talking about feeding, consider what’s safe and unsafe for them. 

Wait! The reasons to avoid such food are the potential toxicity, lack of nutrients, and prioritizing the primary food sources.

As most things are safe to consume for ducks, I will list things you must avoid to feed the avians. So, check the list out and mark such foods red.

1. Avocado – It Kills The Duck!

Avocado is the most toxic and prohibited fruit for birds like ducks! It’s toxic due to the presence of a chemical compound called persin.

While feeding ducks, it’s quite harmful as almost all the parts of avocado, like plants, fruits, and skin, have toxicity. And, of course, the cyanide in the seeds can be fatal for ducks or chickens.

Risks Of Feeding

How eating avocado can harm the duck’s health? Well, it won’t only hurt them; rather, it may kill them too! The health issues ducks may face are:

• Myocardial necrosis or inflammation
• Respiratory problem
• Weakness
• Heart damage
• Sudden death.

2. Bread – Cannot Fit Their Stomach

Here is a twist for the people who used to feed bread pieces to birds or ducks. You may not know that a duck’s stomach cannot fit with the bread. Although breads are not directly toxic, they won’t give anything significant!

Here’s a video of an experienced duck raiser forbidding feeding bread to ducks:

Risks Of Feeding

You may find people saying feeding bread in moderation is okay. Yes, we do that, and it’s okay, but ducks don’t like to eat less. So, they’ll be in trouble! Let me tell you how.

• Tossing the bread in the pond for ducks causes water pollution.
• The entire ecosystem gets messed up!
• Feeding bread to ducks causes malnutrition.
• Ducks are omnivores, so they’ll overeat. And it will cause obesity.
• They may face bloating or digestion discomfort.
• They lose their natural foraging behavior by eating only human food like bread.

3. Citrus Fruits – A Big No!

Ducks can eat almost all sorts of fruits except for citrus fruits. ResearchGate says the problem is citric fruits, which may cause acid reflux or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Also, stomach pain may occur. So, you must avoid citrus fruits like:

• Oranges
• Lemons
• Grapefruits.

Risks Of Feeding

I already mentioned the major health issues in ducks. But there are some others to note down.

• Acidity problem in ducks for the citrus fruit.
• Ducks’ sensitive stomachs and intestines are not fit to cope with citrus fruits.
• Such fruits may cause eggs with thin shells and less hatching.

4. Crisps Or Crackers

Same play! You may prefer to feed chips or crisps in the park, but it’s nothing but causes health problems and malnutrition in ducks. Here, the problem is a high amount of fat and salt.

Then what about crackers for ducks? Avoid it! Any sort of junk food is unsafe for ducks. There are no notable health benefits. Instead, it causes malnutrition or deformities when ducks eat too many crackers. And they’ll surely overeat, as you know their behavior.

Related articles:

• What to Feed Ducks in the Park
• Why Pretzels are Unsuitable for Ducks

5. Chocolates – Another Killer Of Ducks!

You may find it cute when your kids give some chocolates to ducks in the park. But it can kill the ducks due to toxicity! Not only ducks but also some other animals have sensitivity to chocolates.

You may not know chocolates have caffeine, theophylline, and alkaloid theobromine, which belong to the type of chemical called methylxanthines. Most possibly, the amount is around 250 mg/kg. So, surely, ducks are going to be in trouble.

Risks Of Feeding

If ducks accidentally eat chocolates, they will face health difficulties.

For example, eating chocolates can affect ducks’ heart rhythm, cause hyperactivity, or potentially cause cardiovascular or heart problems. Feeding chocolates can also cause diarrhea or vomiting.

The nervous system gets hampered, and you may see:

1. Tremors
2. Seizures
3. Restlessness
4. Death (Within 24 hours).

6. Caffeine – Same Toxicity!

Although you enjoy caffeine a lot, ducks can’t! Even your dog cannot ingest caffeine due to toxicosis like methylxanthine. 

We usually find such compounds in beverages like tea, coffee grounds, and chocolates. All of them are hazardous!

Risks of Feeding

Ducks don’t have the necessary enzymes to metabolize and remove caffeine from the body. So, the trouble starts! They won’t deny it, but they will face many health difficulties.

• Ingesting caffeine can induce hyperactivity and arrhythmias or increase the heart rate. It’s actually due to the cardiovascular issue.
• Giving it to ducks may also cause cardiac arrest.
• Ducks may have nervous system trouble.

7. Large Nuts And Seeds – No, It Causes Choking Hazard!

Whether it’s wild or poultry ducks, they face suffocation while eating nuts or seeds. They encounter such problems because they get stuck on their bill. 

So, they must need some water beside them or ensure you grind the nuts before serving. And be sure the nuts are unsalted and shelled!

Risks Of Feeding

Ducks can eat nuts and seeds, but usually, they try to eat the whole, which is a problem. But how?

• If ducks eat nuts or seeds too much, they’ll have a choking hazard!
• Consuming such supplementary treats can also cause digestion trouble.
• Seeds have cyanide poisoning! According to Merck Manual, Whether it’s ducks, geese, or chickens, cyanide poisoning can show signs within 15 to 20 minutes or around a few hours after consuming cyanide seeds. And it can be deadly!

8. Some Particular Vegetables

Veggies are a good occasional treat and deserve to be on the duck’s diet list. But some of them are toxic! Notably, nightshades are to be blamed for! You must avoid nightshade vegetable leaves, stock, stems, and fruits. You’ll get a more precise idea in the next part.

Potatoes

Potatoes can make delicious dishes but are not comfortable for ducks. Unfortunately, alkaloid solanine and chaconine are present in potatoes or green potatoes. 
Such toxicity notably causes digestion trouble. However, you can give sweet potatoes.

Green Tomatoes

Another nightshade family! Sadly, green tomatoes have toxins called chaconine and solanine. 
They may cause paralysis, drowsiness, or even death. Or solanine can also cause heart failure, attack red blood cells, or scour. But you can give red tomatoes, which is safe.

Eggplant

Same toxins as potatoes and green tomatoes. So, avoid feeding eggplants, or your ducks will have trouble, especially with digestion issues.

Spinach

The culprit with nutrition! But we’re going to overlook spinach as it disrupts calcium absorption. It makes the eggshell soft. 

But as an occasional treat, I’ll encourage you to feed! Get some from Popeye the Sailor man! He eats it and gets more robust, so your ducks may have the same benefit!

Iceberg Lettuce

As iceberg lettuce doesn’t have any significant nutrients but may cause scours (diarrhea), it is better if you avoid it. It contains a high water intake, which is good, but ducks may consume too much. And it’s going to be bad for their health.

Rhubarb

It’s Toxic! Rhubarb leaves have anthraquinones and have a laxative effect on ducks or chickens. Also, it has fatal oxalic acid. And ducks will have severe cold issues or eggs with thin shells.

Beans

Except for fresh or sprouted beans, ducks are not comfortable with dried, uncooked beans. Here, sprouting is recommended because it breaks down phytate, a phytic acid that blocks the absorption of nutrients.

Additionally, phytohaemagglutinin is a natural toxin in dried, undercooked red kidney beans that may harm poultry birds. So, be careful!

9. Uncooked Rice – Tough To Consume

Although I didn’t find any severe problems while feeding rice to ducks, at least avoid giving uncooked form. They’ll have digestion problems.

10. Raw Meat Or Eggs – Carry Bacteria!

Ducks are omnivores and opportunists, so they can even eat meat. But it’s unsafe since it carries an infection called salmonella or other bacteria.

And in the case of eggs, they can even eat their eggs when cooked or boiled. Or you can also give cooked meat as well.

11. Moldy Foods – Don’t Let Them Eat!

Ducks don’t understand the difference between moldy and fresh foods. So, they’ll eat moldy or rotten food with fungal toxins called mycotoxins. 

Unfortunately, it will cause health problems in ducks, geese, chickens, or turkeys. In general, it obstructs wing growth and causes deformities in offspring or aspergillosis in ducks, an infection of the lungs.

Also, ducks will experience egg-laying trouble in the backyard. Gastrointestinal issues with respiratory problems are quite common when ducks consume the wrong food.

12. Salty Foods

Ducks cannot tolerate salt too much because they get dehydrated or have kidney problems. Salt affects the electrolyte along with fluid balance in bird-like ducks. It can even make eggshell deformities!

So, avoid salty foods like chips, peanuts, or junk foods. Additionally, they don’t need high-sugar foods because they get fat too fast!

13. Dairy Products – Cannot Digest!

Ducks don’t have the enzyme to digest the sugar compound lactose in dairy products. As they are lactose intolerant, it is better you avoid it! Or they’ll have diarrhea or discomfort. Most importantly, you must avoid:

• Milk
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Cream
• Butter.

Recommended Readings:

• Do Ducks Drink Milk
• Can Ducks Eat Cheese

14. Processed Foods – Unhealthy For Ducks!

Processed foods are made of salt, sugar, additives, or preservatives. All of them are uncomfortable for ducks and ultimately cause digestion discomfort, weight gain, or heart problems.

What Not To Feed A Baby Duck? Almost The Same List!

Ducklings or baby ducks are the same, so there is no difference in their unsafe food list. Rather baby ducks’ unsafe food list should be overloaded more than the diet of adult ones.

Ducklings require protein and niacin at a young age. They require at least 10 mg of niacin each day.

Besides that, they have delicate digestive systems. So, you need to prioritize eating a balanced diet. Here, I mean giving waterfowl foods like:

• Starter feed
• Chopped greens
• Small insects
• Aquatic creatures.

However, talk to a vet or avian expert for more feeding ideas for the baby ducks.

What Should You Feed To Your Ducks Instead?

Except for the names I included, ducks can be good in moderation. They are fond of their primary sources. Especially, North American ducks prefer to have some aquatic plants, small insects, and other foods.

However, avians have so many food sources as an occasional treat. Don’t worry! For domesticated ducks or even for mallards or muscovy, my preference is to give:

1. Seeds
2. Mills 
3. Pellets
4. Worms
5. Fruits 
6. Vegetables
7. Small fishes
8. Chopped Greens.

It would be better to take some advice from your nearby avian experts.

Recommended Reading: What Do Ducks Eat

Wrapping Up

We typically give anything we eat, but it’s something that we must stop. And the things not to feed your ducks are listed above, and you must be careful. All the foods I mentioned are not a good match for ducks. Specifically, avoid avocados, citrus fruits, nightshade veggies, and junk foods.

Birds eating anything they find around is a typical portrayal. But as a poultry or pet duck owner, you must stay on the list of safe foods I mentioned. They will be healthy and notably nutritious, with vitamins, minerals, fibers, and others.

Sources And References:

• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341646878_Gastroesophageal_Reflux_Disease-Functional_Dyspepsia_Overlap_Do_Birds_of_a_Feather_Flock_Together
• https://www.merckvetmanual.com/toxicology/food-hazards/chocolate-toxicosis-in-animals