Are you a new-time duck farmer? Or perhaps you have a duck as a pet and are wondering what to feed it.
Well, there’s no reason to be concerned about that. These birds aren’t picky eaters. Ducks, like all omnivores, eat a variety of foods. They feed on grains, birdfeed, insects, veggies, seeds, oats, and a variety of fruits.
It’s okay to eat this many foods. However, what about Avocado? Can they also eat that?
Can Ducks Eat Avocado?
No, they can’t. While avocado is a delicious and healthy fruit for humans, it is harmful for ducks. This is because it contains toxic persin.
Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, are also considered toxic. They can cause acid reflux and stomach pains in ducks.
For as long as I can remember, avocado poisoning has been a source of great debate and controversy among bird breeders and owners.
This article will clarify a few facts about the dangers of feeding avocados or providing ducks access to avocado trees.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Avocado To Ducks?
Avocado is a fruit, and fruits are excellent foods to provide to ducks. They’re high in vitamins and minerals, which can help any duck stay healthy.
However, avocados should never be given to ducks.
As stated earlier, they contain persin, which is harmful to ducks. Hence, their nutritional benefits are ineffective for ducks. The fruit is rather dangerous to ducks.
Avocado contains a toxic substance that causes myocardial necrosis. Only 5% of avocado can kill a small bird in 48 hours!
Avocado intake can cause any of the following in ducks;
Inability to perch: Birds use perches for a variety of purposes, including standing, climbing, rubbing, cleaning their beaks, and standing, among other things.
Having a bird that can’t perch is the same as having a paralyzed bird.
Respiratory distress: Respiratory distress is a condition in which fluid accumulates in the air sacs of the lungs, depriving organs of oxygen.
It is accompanied by symptoms such as increased breathing rate, grunting sound, and color changes.
Liver and kidney failure: Liver and kidney disease can occur in birds as well. Avocado consumption may also be a contributing factor. This problem may be difficult to spot at an early stage.
However, some warning signs include depression, frequent urination and thirst, constipation, loss of appetite, weakness, difficult breathing, and so on.
Death: This occurs in severe cases. However, if you have fed your bird avocado, it still has a chance of survival.
All you need to do is call your veterinarian for immediate treatment. This is the only possible way to save your birds.
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How Often Should I Feed Them Avocado?
It has already been established that the fruit, avocado, is highly toxic and harmful to the duck. Therefore, there should be no debate about how often a duck should be fed avocado.
As much as ducks enjoy a variety of foods, some fruits and foods should not be fed to them at any time to avoid stomach flu. Avocado is one such food.
Although there has been little published research on avocado poisonings in humans and animals.
The fact remains that the avocado tree can be toxic, as evidenced by several confirmed cases each year.
Again, as it has already been established that avocado is not good food for ducks because it is poisonous to them.
Citrus fruits and Mangoes are also other types of fruits to keep away from your ducks.
Can Baby Ducks Eat Avocado?
No, they can’t. Adult ducks cannot survive the poisonous nature of avocado, and baby ducks (ducklings) cannot either.
Ducklings will die faster than adult ducks if they consume Avocado.
Vegetables, however, can be given to ducklings, particularly those with more carbs, such as carrots, beans, and so on.
Some vegetables that ducklings (over four weeks old) can comfortably eat include, but are not limited to:
Corn: Corn removed from the cob, cooked or uncooked, is usually a good treat for a duck. However, whole corn cob can still be given to a duckling to eat.
Some ducklings may have a hard time getting the corn off the cob. So it’s better to get the corn off the cobs for easy picking.
Peas: Peas are a favorite food of ducks and can be used to train them. Peas are available in two forms: frozen/thawed or canned.
However, it is always preferable to feed the ducklings frozen/thawed peas. This is because canned peas contain too much salt which can be harmful to birds.
Cucumber: When cut into bite-sized pieces, cucumber can be fed to ducks. It can be served to them raw, cooked, peeled, or unpeeled.
Bell peppers: A duck can be fed red, yellow, or green bell peppers cut into bite-size chunks. To facilitate digestion, the core, seeds, and stems must first be removed.
As previously stated, fruits are treats ducks enjoy from time to time. This is because they contain a lot of natural sugar.
However, it should be noted that fruits should be fed in moderation to maintain good health.
Some of the edible fruits and veggies for ducks include:
Tomatoes: Ducks can eat any type of tomato. But the vines and leaves must be removed first because they are toxic to the bird.
If your duck requires medication in the form of a pill, hiding the pill in a grape or cherry tomato can make feeding the pill to the duck easier.
Eggplant: Fresh or cooked eggplant, chopped into smaller pieces, works well for duck food.
Banana: A banana can be mashed or cut into smaller pieces for ducklings as a treat. Peaches, cherries, melons, and other fruits are also great for them.
These do not cause them any discomfort.
Can Ducks Consume Avocado Skin?
Ducks can be poisoned by all parts of the avocado plant, including the flesh. This is due to the presence of toxic persin.
This means that ducks should avoid eating avocado skin, pits, or flesh. Avocado tree leaves and bark are also poisonous.
If you have an avocado orchard in your backyard, you should build the duck shed away from the avocado tree.
Can Ducks Eat Avocado Seed?
Avocados are a nutritious addition to any diet, but what about their seeds or pits? They contain a trace of a natural toxin known as persin.
Persin is an oil-soluble compound found in the leaves, bark, and pits of the avocado plant. It’s a natural fungicide.
While the amount of persin in an avocado pit is insufficient to cause harm to humans, avocado plants and pits can cause harm to pets and livestock.
Cats and dogs may become ill if they consume avocado flesh or seeds. Avocados are poisonous to both birds and mammals.
Although, there does appear to be a variation, possibly due to the time of year.
However, all parts of the plant are poisonous, including the branches and leaves. I’ve read a lot about how avocado branches should not be used as perches in aviaries.
What Are The Ways Of Feeding Avocado to Ducks
The only way to feed avocado to ducks is to never feed it to them at all. There are other healthy fruits like berries, cucumbers, apples, bananas, etc, that are great for ducks.
There are however careful measures to be taken when feeding these fruits to birds. Let’s take a look;
Feed them fruits occasionally: When feeding ducks fruits, make sure you do so occasionally. Every fruit has a daily limit that it should not exceed. Giving them more than is necessary can be harmful to them.
Cut the fruits into bite-sized pieces: Because ducks do not chew, they can’t eat fruits whole. This is due to the possibility of their being choked while eating it.
It is important to cut or crush the fruit to avoid such occurrences. You may even juice some fruits for your birds to enjoy.
Avoid combining fruits and chocolates: I understand how much we adore our birds and want to provide the best for them.
Our good intentions, however, can occasionally be damaging to our birds.
Chocolate is often harmful to birds. Birds can be poisoned by chocolate. Chocolate includes theobromine as well as caffeine.
This substance has been shown to cause vomiting and diarrhea in birds.
They are also harmful to their heart, causing an increase in heart rate. In severe cases, it can potentially result in the death of birds.
Keep their feeders clean: The feeders use to feed birds fruit should be kept clean and fresh at all times.
This prevents mold from growing in the feeders as a result of this. Feeders should be washed at least once every two weeks.
Do not feed them rotten fruits: Fruits, like all-natural foods, deteriorate with time. Always examine the fruits thoroughly before offering them to your ducks.
A decaying fruit will have a nasty odor and taste. Throw them aside as soon as you notice this. It is also vital to remove fruits from the feeder before they become rotten.
Conclusion
Ducks are versatile eaters, so it’s more likely that you’ll be able to find food that your ducks enjoy without too much difficulty.
You must, however, be cautious of products that are harmful to ducks, such as avocado.
Other treats to avoid giving your ducks include mangos, chocolates, and citrus fruits. Your ducks can enjoy apples, cucumbers, berries, etc.
