The Kiwi fruit originated from China before being spread to other parts of the world. It is called Kiwi after the national bird of Australia.
Kiwi is a fruit that has a lot of health benefits and nutrients.
Duck owners have regularly asked if they can feed Kiwi to their birds as part of their diet and the answer is yes, you can feed your birds Kiwi.
Let us look at the health benefits of Kiwi to your ducks, how often you should feed them, the different ways you can feed it to the ducks and other questions you might have.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Kiwi To Ducks
The Kiwi fruit offers a lot of health benefits to a duck and some of them include:
- Vitamins
The Kiwifruit is high in Vitamin content, especially Vitamins C and K. These vitamins are immune system boosters helping blood clotting and the natural repair process.
Feeding ducks Kiwi helps to fight against wound infections such as Bumblefoot.
- Antioxidant
Antioxidants are substances that help mitigate damage to cells in the body. Kiwi has an abundance of antioxidants.
When the ducks have enough antioxidants in their bodies, they are less likely to become ill.
- Fiber
The kiwi fruit contains fiber. Fiber improves the digestion process of ducks and helps prevent constipation in your birds.
This is also beneficial to the hens as it clears bowel movements which are sometimes hampered by the egg laying process.
- Calcium
The presence of calcium in the body system is quite important for bone strengthening and egg formation.
Calcium deficiency results in thin-shelled eggs which are quite vulnerable to bacteria.
- Iron
Kiwi is also a source of iron in the body. Iron is important for the circulation of blood throughout the body.
It helps the production of hemoglobin and reduces the incidence of anemia in your ducks.
How Often Should I Feed Them Kiwi?
As much as Kiwi is nutritious and beneficial to your ducks, it is a treat and should not replace their main feed.
There are various reasons why you shouldn’t turn Kiwi to your duck’s main treat.
One major reason is, the ducks require a lot of protein as they grow and develop and the Kiwifruit is not doesn’t have so much protein.
As such feeding your ducks Kiwi should be limited to once or twice a week.
Here is a complete list of foods that ducks can eat
Can Baby Ducks Eat Kiwi?
Baby ducks called ducklings can eat Kiwi as it is perfectly safe for them. It provides a lot of health benefits which they require to reach their peak growth and development.
Abundance of vitamin C for example will help the ducklings fight against duck virus hepatitis which affects ducklings and can lead to a high mortality rate.
Supplementing duck feed with kiwifruit can go a long way in keeping your birds healthy with strong immune systems.
Serve Kiwifruit to ducklings which are above 4 weeks and chop it into smaller pieces to make it easy for them to eat.
Can Ducks Eat Kiwi Juice?
Ducks can have Kiwi juice as part of their treats from time to time. It is also healthy and helps detoxify the body system faster.
To offer Kiwi juice to your birds, pour out some for them into their waterer. If you are offering Kiwi juice to them for the first time, watch out to see how they react to it.
If they are fine with it then you can offer it to them from time to time. Make sure they do not have any negative reactions to the juice or you will have to stop feeding them the juice.
Can Ducks Eat Kiwi Leaves
Kiwi leaves are as well beneficial and healthy to the ducks. Since the ducks can eat plants, they will have no problem gobbling up the leaves of the Kiwi.
Before serving the leaves, ensure you wash the leaves thoroughly to remove any present bacteria.
Cut them into smaller pieces and place in the duck feeders.
You can also place the cut pieces in water bowls for the ducks to encourage them to eat the leaves.
Here is an article I wrote on feeding ducks with tuna
Can Ducks Eat Raw Kiwi
Yes ducks can eat raw Kiwi fruit and it is one of the best ways to serve it to them. Note that if your ducks have not eaten kiwi before they might not necessarily take it at first.
Introduce it to them slowly and do not just overwhelm them with it.
Wash the Kiwi thoroughly and it is best to chop into smaller pieces before serving to the ducks.
This way it is small enough to appeal to the ducks and also easier for them to eat.
Can I Feed Ducks Kiwi Skin And Seeds?
Kiwi skin and seeds are perfectly safe for your ducky pets and you can feed it to them as part of their treats.
Kiwi skin has been discovered to contain a higher percentage of important nutrients especially dietary fibre and Vitamin K.
This means there is an abundance of these nutrients and they get to work faster on your ducks bodies.
If you want your pet ducks to eat kiwi skin easily, ensure you cut the skin into small pieces.
The skin is tougher and stringier than the inside and dicing it into small pieces makes it very easy for them to eat.
Things To Consider When Feeding Ducks Kiwi
Before feeding kiwi to your ducks, have it in mind that they might not like kiwis or might not accept it from you.
This is totally normal with pets as this is even seen in humans.
Introduce the fruit to them slowly and start off with little pieces so they don’t get overwhelmed.
You can feed all parts of the kiwi fruit to your ducks so ensure you wash the leaves and fruit thoroughly before feeding them.
You do not want to feed your ducks infected food. If they do accept and like the kiwi then feed it to them occasionally from time to time.
The kiwi is a treat for your ducks and not their main food. It should not replace their main diet and as such restrict feeding them kiwis to twice a week.
What Are The Ways Of Feeding Kiwi To Ducks
There are different ways of feeding kiwi to ducks. Feeding it to them in the right proportions is very important for their health.
You can decide to feed them the kiwi whole. However it is advisable for you to wash the fruit then cut into smaller pieces.
You can also mix the kiwi with other healthy vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, grapes, bananas and other fruits.
This will help to create an appetizing mix which the ducks would love.
You can also chop kiwi into their feed. This should make it easier for them to eat as they are used to their feed and might get curious seeing the fruit in it.
Of course you can also come up with new, fun and interesting ways to feed kiwi to the ducks and do not hesitate to share with the community.
Conclusion
Kiwis are a delicious and healthy treat to add to your duck’s food repertoire. It is abundant in nutrients such as vitamins, dietary fibre, antioxidants, calcium, iron amongst others.
Although kiwi is nutritious, it remains a treat and should not replace your duck’s main feed.
Every part of the kiwi fruit is healthy including the leaves, skin, seeds and juice.
Wash your kiwi thoroughly before feeding your birds and cut it into small pieces to enable them to enjoy it more.
You can also mix it up with other fruits and watch them gobble up the treat.
