Watermelon is a favourite fruit among humans because of its bright colour and rich taste.
It is also quite nutritious.
Can ducks have watermelon? Yes, ducks can have watermelon. It does not harm them in any way. In fact, you will discover that they enjoy it quite well.
So next time you are home snacking on some slices of watermelon, remember to share them with your ducks.
You can also consider adding it to their diet as treats.
Your ducks would really appreciate it.
Watermelons are not just tasty, they are also very beneficial to the health of your ducks. Let’s discuss how.
What are the health benefits of watermelon?
The health benefits of watermelon to ducks are numerous, that’s why it’s one of the best fruit treats you can give them.
Let’s take a look at some of these benefits.
1. It helps with quality eggs
Watermelons contain vitamin C which enhances the production of eggs in ducks.
The more vitamin C you feed them, the more they lay eggs.
The more they lay eggs, the more eggs you have to sell. So it’s a win win situation, your ducks are happy and you make more money.
I tried this last year and it worked like magic. Vitamin C also ensures that they lay quality eggs.
2. It helps boost fast growth.
Feeding your ducks watermelon ensures that they grow very fast.
The presence of vitamin A in watermelons ensures that ducks grow considerably in size over a short period of time.
This is an advantage if you rear ducks mainly for meat.
Your ducks will gain more pounds and weigh more which means you get more money for them.
It also helps your ducklings grow faster.
3. It helps with easy digestion.
As the name suggests, watermelons contains an high percentage of water (about 92%).
Water intake help ducks digest their food and absorb nutrients easily.
It reduces the risk of choking.
Watermelons also ensure that your ducks stay hydrated. This is very important during the summer.
4. It boosts healthy eyes.
The vitamin A present in watermelon ensures that your ducks have healthy eyes.
Ducks that take watermelons regularly are in no danger of eye defects or eye diseases.
To improve the eyesight of your ducks, you can consider giving them watermelons regularly.
5. It improves Immunity.
Vitamin C boosts their immune system to better fight against diseases and also helps in healing their wound very fast.
Magnesium derived from watermelons can also help with this.
Ducks lacking in magnesium can suffer convulsions and stunted growth.
With watermelons included in their diet, your ducks remain strong and healthy.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on “Can ducks eat bananas“?
Can baby ducks have watermelon?
Baby ducks will probably eat whatever you give them so it is left to you to know which kind of food is safe for them and which isn’t.
“Can baby ducks have watermelon then?” “Is it safe for them?”
Yes, baby ducks can have watermelon and it is quite safe for them to eat.
You should however consider cutting it into small pieces because of their size.
It will be easier for your baby ducks to eat and also reduce the risk of them choking on it.
Watermelons also help baby ducks to grow faster.
If you rear ducks for meat, consider giving your baby ducks watermelon regularly so they can grow faster and bigger.
It is however advisable to remove the seeds.
The baby ducks may find a hard time eating them and it is best to be safe than sorry.
You should also not replace their main diet with watermelon as it does not contain all the necessary nutrients that they need to grow healthy.
Watermelon is just a treat.
Can ducks eat skin and seeds?
Yes, ducks can eat skin and seeds.
I guess it all depends on what your ducks like. Give them some slices or cuts of watermelon and watch to see if they will eat the skin and seeds.
If they do, then you can readily add it to their diet.
If they don’t, then you should avoid giving it to them.
There is no part of watermelon however that is not beneficial to them.
You can cut the skin/rind into small pieces before giving it to your ducks.
You could also consider breaking or grinding the seeds before giving it to them.
It is alright if you choose not to do this though.
Your ducks are in no danger of harm if they eat the seeds whole.
What should you consider when feeding watermelons to your ducks?
Watermelons are very sweet so they contain sugar.
When feeding your ducks watermelons, put this into consideration and feed them small rations.
It is not even advisable to feed your ducks watermelons more than once in a week.
1. Freshness.
Before you feed your ducks that watermelon, make sure it is fresh.
While watermelons contain a lot of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to their health, rotten or moldy ones can be quite disastrous to them.
Whatever is not safe for you to eat is not safe for your pets to eat too.
Avoid feeding them spoilt leftovers.
2. Quantity of seeds.
Your ducks can eat watermelon skin and seeds without getting hurt but eating a lot of seeds isn’t good for them.
So before you cut up watermelons and give to your ducks, make sure it doesn’t contain excess seeds.
When your ducks eat too many seeds, they have a hard time digesting it.
Conclusion
Ducks can have watermelon and they can eat the whole fruit, including the skin and seeds.
You can consider freezing it before feeding it to them during the summer as this helps them to remain hydrated and cools them.
They also enjoy it more that way.
Cut it into small bites for baby ducks and remove the seeds because they might find it hard to eat.
Watermelons are just treats however and should not be used as main meals.
There are other treats like edible flowers, tomatoes, cabbages etc. that they would also enjoy.
