What To Feed Ducks (Instead of Bread)

Proper nutrition is an important part of caring for ducks. Whether you’re keeping a flock of ducks as pets or just feeding ducks you see at the park, you need to make sure the food you’re offering is healthy and appropriate.

Here’s what to feed ducks—and what not to offer.

What Can Ducks Eat?

Wild ducks are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and meat. They will eat a very wide variety of foods they find, often including:

• Small fish

• Snails

• Crabs

• Insects

• Slugs

• Grass seed

• Aquatic vegetation

Pet ducks will often eat many of these same things when they are allowed to forage, but nutrition becomes even more important when your ducks spend time in an enclosed pen without access to the array of food wild ducks have access to.

Domestic ducks need a commercial duck food that’s specifically designed to meet their needs. Foods designed for chickens and “all flock” formulas are not adequate.

The Best Duck Feed

A commercially designed duck food is by far the best choice for feeding ducks. But not all duck food is formulated the same, so you’ll need to pay attention to ingredients.

Foods designed for chickens and “all flock” formulas are not ideal for ducks. Ducks need a higher level of niacin (B3) than most chicken food provides, and deficiency can result in deformities and health problems for your flock. Ducks also require protein-based amino acids because they eat a fairly large amount of animal protein in the wild.

Unlike chickens, ducks must have water readily available when eating to reduce the risk of choking. This makes duck-specific food that floats on water, such as Mazuri® Waterfowl Maintenance pellets, the best option.

If your female ducks are laying eggs, maintaining proper calcium levels is critical. They need a special diet to meet this need, such as Mazuri Waterfowl Layer.

Can Ducks Eat Bread?

No, it’s not a good idea to feed wild or domestic ducks bread.

While ducks might enjoy and readily gobble up bits of bread, this snack fills them up quickly. This prevents ducks from eating the healthy, nutritional food they need. In fact, if overeaten, bread can actually result in skeletal deformities, which can prove fatal.

Instead of bread, you can feed ducks healthier treats like:

• Lettuce

• Cabbage

• Frozen peas

• Cooked oats and rice

• Cracked corn

Tips for Feeding Ducks

Feeding pet ducks is easy:

1. Fill a large tub with fresh water.

2. Drop in the floating duck food.

3. The ducks will do the rest!

Once they’ve eaten their meal, treats and snacks such as greens, cooked oats, chopped vegetables, and weeds from the yard can be placed either in a duck feeder or on the ground for them. Always make sure your ducks have eaten their healthy duck feed before giving them small snacks to enjoy.

If you want to feed wild ducks at the park, a little more care is needed.

Although wild ducks may be friendly, it’s not good to teach them to become tame and expect food from humans. Place the food down and back away so they can eat but don’t directly associate people with the food.

Not everyone likes ducks, and things can go poorly for wild ducks that approach the wrong person for food. Never try to pet a wild duck, for the same reasons.

Make sure the foods you offer wild ducks are healthy and complement their diet. Some good foods to feed wild ducks are:

• Chopped lettuce and cabbage

• Cracked corn

• Sliced grapes

• Frozen peas

• Commercial foods formulated for pet ducks

With the right diet, ducks can live long, happy, and healthy lives.