Do you raise ducks? Or do you frequent the local park and try to feed ducks? If the answer is yes to either of those questions, you’ve probably had a few questions about what you can and can’t feed ducks.
Can ducks eat blueberries? Yes, they can! However, it’s important to be careful with how you serve blueberries and the frequency at which you provide them.
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Why Should I Feed Ducks Blueberries?
Beyond getting rid of some unwanted scraps, blueberries provide a few different vital nutrients for ducks. Potassium, anti-inflammatory, Vitamin C, E, and B6 are found in blueberries.
Overall health improvement in ducks can be linked to the nutrients found in blueberries.
Blueberries are extremely tasty for ducks and help them fight off infections, increase support for egg production, and can also help aid a duck’s movement and nervous system.
Here are the Do’s and don’ts to feeding ducks blueberries.
Do’s
- Cut your blueberries or mash them up. Since blueberries can be mushy, that prevents less of a choking hazard than grapes and other fruits do. However, it never hurts to splice the blueberries a bit smaller to make it easier for the ducks to enjoy.
- Do expose ducklings to blueberries- introducing young ducks to a large diet will make them more accepting of new foods as they get older.
- Do treat blueberries as a treat.
- Do pay attention if you are visiting ducks at the park- watch to see if other patrons have fed the ducks because you don’t want to overfeed them, regardless of whether you’re serving blueberries or not.
- Do embrace a variety-based diet as a duck owner and a duck park visitor. Ducks like humans, need to eat different things to receive the nutrients they need. Invite blueberries to your duck’s diet, but don’t rely on them as the primary food option.
Don’ts
- Don’t give frozen blueberries to ducks. Wait for them to thaw- part of what makes blueberries a safer food is that they are mushy when thawed. If given frozen blueberries, a larger chance of choking is present.
- Don’t make blueberries a regular part of a duck’s diet. While there are plenty of necessary nutrients and ducks love them, blueberries should be considered a treat. There are extra sugars present that can lead ducks to become overweight and can harm their health.
- Don’t overfeed the ducks. Whether at the park or raising them at home, pay attention to what they are eating and when.
- Don’t restrict a duck’s diet to just blueberries- non-citric fruits, plenty of vegetables, certain nuts and seeds are all acceptable table scraps to feed ducks.
Conclusion
Ducks are marvelous creatures! They are fun to have as pets and fun to visit in parks- part of that fun is getting to feed them.
Knowing how and what to feed them is crucial to maintaining a duck’s health. If you choose to feed ducks blueberries, they are enjoying a sweet treat with multiple health benefits! Just make sure you don’t give them too much.