Table of contents
- Natural Nutrition
- Unsuitable foods
- Bread
- Salty and sweet
- fruit and vegetables
- frequently asked Questions
Feeding ducks is a habit that people have grown fond of. What is little known, however, is that some well-intentioned feed not only harms the waterfowl, but also worsens the water quality of the duck pond. Find out here what ducks are not allowed to eat.
Natural Nutrition
In biology, ducks are omnivores. Their plant-based food spectrum includes seeds, fruits and plants that grow in water, on the bank or on land. Examples of animal food sources include tadpoles, spawn, worms and molluscs. In general, waterfowl are considered undemanding when it comes to their choice of food - which does not mean, however, that you can give ducks everything to eat without hesitation.
Unsuitable foods
Ducks are not very picky and will eat just about anything that can be digested to some extent and that comes in front of their beaks. Therefore, from a duck's point of view, feeding people are a good source of food, as it promises food without much effort. It never occurs to the animals that this can also be food that can harm them.
A notice:
If you feed ducks near bodies of water, it is best to put the food out on the bank. This keeps the water clean.
Bread
Although ducks like to eat bread, rolls and other pastries, they are not suitable food for the animals. Against the duck food popular with humans speaks:
- too much salt for ducks
- contains too much sugar
- swells in the stomach (can lead to death)
Due to the many carbohydrates, rolls and the like are also referred to as "fast food for ducks". The pastry fills the duck stomach but contains no nutrients. Therefore, regular feeding with bread leads to a nutrient deficiency.
A notice:
Only feed as much as the animals actually eat. If you notice that the ducks are full, you should stop feeding them immediately.
Salty and sweet
In addition to bread, ducks are also not allowed to eat salty and sweet foods. That's why you should like when feeding on foods
- French fries
- Potato chips, popcorn, pretzel sticks and the like
- Cookies (and other sweets)
- Cake
waive.
fruit and vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are, in and of themselves, suitable duck food. However, you should pay attention to the following:
- organic quality
- must not be spoiled
- must not be processed (eg. B. creamed vegetables, salad with dressing)
- preferably feed local fruit and vegetables (e.g. B. apples, pears, cucumbers, carrots)
- prefer low-calorie vegetables to ripe fruit (sugar content)
In addition, you should always offer fruit and vegetables in a way that is appropriate for the beak. Ducks don't have teeth with which they can bite off an apple, for example. If the mallard manages to break out an edible piece with its beak, there is a risk that the animal will choke on it if it swallows. To avoid death by suffocation, the following preparations are recommended:
- cook (preferably without salt)
- rasp
- mash cooked vegetables
A notice:
Stay away from moldy food! They belong in the compost bin and not in duck stomachs.
frequently asked Questions
Popular snacks for ducks are lettuce, lettuce drinks and potatoes cooked without salt. Oat flakes and chopped tomatoes and grapes are also suitable as duck feed.
Crushed corn kernels, wheat and barley are popular foods for mallards. They are less fond of oats and rye.
Ducks should not eat ripe or overripe bananas. The fruits are nice and soft, but contain too much fructose. Therefore, only immature (hard or green) bananas that have been chopped or mashed.
Like their parents, ducklings are omnivores. In scientific experiments, it was found that animal protein has a beneficial effect on their development. However, since the chicks at the duck pond are out and about with their parents, targeted feeding is not possible.
Mirko
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