Okra, also referred to as ladies’ fingers can simply be described as a green finger-like vegetable, and it is mostly prevalent during summer season.
Okra is widely enjoyed by a wide range of people because of its health benefits and it would be very nice to know that even ducks can eat okra.
Just like other fruits and vegetables, okra is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and folic acid.
These vitamins and minerals support the health of your ducks and boost their immune system, aids metabolism, calm their nerves and muscles, strengthen their bones and much more benefits.
In fact, okra is considered one of the safest organic foods you can feed your poultry.
This article would cover everything you need to know about feeding okra to ducks.
What Are The Health Benefits of Okra For Ducks?
Okra is a vegetable rich in nutrients that even other vegetables and fruits lack.
It contains Protein, healthy calories, Fat, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Sugar, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Vitamin A, Potassium, Sodium, Thiamin, Magnesium, Calcium and Folate.
Asides that, it is rich in Phosphorus, Iron, Copper, Niacin and other antioxidants.
These makes it a great meal to feed your ducks.
Here are some health benefits of okra for ducks:
- Aids digestion:
Okra contains dietary fiber which hinder constipation ducks may suffer from, and it helps in regulating bowel movement.
Feeding your ducks okra will help them digest the food they eat, and aid the convenient movement of food in their digestive tract.
- Improves vision:
Do you know that not only humans suffer from blindness? Poultry birds including ducks do as well!
This is where Vitamin A comes into place. Vitamin A is great for restoring and even preventing impaired vision.
Feeding ducks okra given them the right amount of Vitamin A their body needs to help them have a great vision, especially when it is dark.
- Boosts the immune system:
Okra is very rich in antioxidants which helps in boosting the immune system. It aids restriction of future illnesses and diseases your ducks are likely to suffer from.
Now, you know what to do to prevent your ducks from getting sick!
- Repairs body tissues:
The presence of Vitamin C in okra is very useful for repairing the body tissues. Aside that, it promotes the growth and development of your ducks.
- Helps in blood clotting:
Okra contains Vitamin K which works in the normal regulation or blood clotting. It also prevents ducks from bruises and internal bleeding.
Feeding your ducks okra is necessary to synthesize prothrombin as well. It is also great for keeping their bones healthy.
Want to know what to feed ducks? Read this now
How Often Should I Feed Them Okra?
You should feed them okra in a moderate portion. They can eat it for a couple of times in a week.
You can ask well, substitute okra with other healthy fruits and vegetables that are healthy for ducks.
If you feed ducks too much okra, it could cause gastrointestinal problems for them.
This is because okra contains fructans, a type of carbohydrates and too much it can cause these birds to have diarrhea and stomach upset.
The best thing is to be moderate when feeding okra to your duck.
Can Baby Ducks Eat Okra?
Baby ducks can eat okra, provided it is given to them in moderate portions.
Feeding okra to your ducklings aids their digestion process, develop their bones, improve vision, develop their body tissues and provided them enough nutrients needed for their growth and development.
Can Ducks Eat Okra Leaves?
Ducks can eat okra leaves. All parts of the okra is edible, the seeds, the pods and even the leaves.
The great part about okra is that it doesn’t take to much time to prepare because it is safe and edibles for consumption.
Can Ducks Eat Raw Okra?
It is safe and healthy to feed your ducks raw okra.
However, it should be given to them in small amounts because okra contains some amounts of solanine, and must not be too much in diet.
Can Ducks Eat Okra Plants?
Ducks can eat okra plants. Basically, every part of the okra plant, be it the seed, pod, skin and even leaf is edible for ducks.
The pod is the part of the okra plant containing the most nutrients. I strongly suggest you feed them smaller and fresh okra pods.
They are tender, delicious and most nutritious for your poultry birds.
Same with the seeds. It is edible and contains the needed nutrients for your ducks.
In fact, it is the softest part of the okra plant so your ducks will definitely enjoy eating it than any other parts of the okra.
Here is an article I wrote on feeding ducks with pears
Things To Consider When Feeding Ducks Okra.
Okra is basically, one of the safe organic food to feed your ducks. However, it is advisable for you not to include it as part of their primary diet.
This is because despite the fact that okra is very rich in nutrients, it still contains a bit of solanine, which can be quite toxic and can cause health issues for your ducks.
To avoid this, you should feed your ducks okra in considerable amounts.
Another thing you should consider when feeding ducks okra is how fresh the okras are.
Clearly, feeding ducks okra takes less time to prepare because the whole of it is safe and edible to prepare.
Make sure you feed your ducks fresh okra because it contains a very good amount of nutrients.
In fact, if you are lucky enough to have a garden of okra in your yard, provide your ducks the okra immediately you harvest it.
Lastly, when feeding okra seeds to ducks, you can mix it with the ducks feed. Okra seed is very soft, smooth and easy to eat.
What Are The Ways Of Feeding Okra To Ducks?
Okra can be fed to ducks either cooked or raw. Still yet, they can find it difficult to peck at it because of its hard texture even when it is cooked.
Here are the different ways of feeding okra to ducks:
- Dicing: you can chop the okra in small pieces for the ducks. You’ll be amazed at how they’ll keep on peeking away at the pieces of okra you have diced for them.
- Add to their feed: you can make a nice mixture of healthy treats for your ducks when you carefully add each part of the okra (in small pieces) to their feed.
- Cooked okra: you can make a little bit of fun and decide to cook the okra. Most humans love okra, right? So do ducks!
- Raw: you can even decide to save yourself the stress of cooking the okra and feed your ducks the raw ones. There’s no problem with that as okra can be given to ducks whether it is cooked or raw.
Another thing you should note when feeding the ducks in these different ways is that the okra should be given to them in moderable and peckable chunks.
Therefore, in whatever you do, always remember to dice the okra for your ducks to prevent choking.
Conclusion.
The answer to the question ‘can ducks watch okra’ is undoubtedly a yes.
I am quite sure you must have gotten from this article, how nutritious okra can be to ducks.
It can as well, help them repair their body tissues, develop their bones, make them stronger and even improve their vision.
On the other hand, okra can be very nutritious but it contains some amount of solanine and other fructans that can cause gastrointestinal problems for your ducks.
That is way it advisable to feed them okra in moderate portions, and recommended not to include it as part of their primary diet.
