Ducks are omnivorous, meaning they will eat just about anything. However, to keep your ducks healthy and happy, it is important to provide them with a well-balanced diet. A healthy diet for ducks includes: water, grains, vegetables, and protein. Fruits can be offered as treats, but can ducks eat nectarines?
Yes, ducks can eat nectarines as a healthy treat because it contains vitamins and minerals that can benefit the ducks health. Feed in moderation as it contains natural sugar that should not be over consumed for ducks.
Fruits can be an excellent source of vitamins and minerals for ducks. In this article we will talk more about ducks eating nectarines.
How Many Nectarines Can a Duck Eat?
Since nectarines are high in sugar it should be fed in moderation to keep the duck healthy. Giving ducks treats should not exceed 10% of their overall diet. For domestic ducks it’s important to give them a balanced diet with commercial duck feed and only give them nectarines as a treat after they have eating their meals.
When it comes to wild ducks, it’s fine to feed them nectarines as well. However it’s important to remember that other people might have given the duck something to eat already so always feed in moderation to not risk the possible to cause health issues for the duck.
Nectarines Nutritional Value
Below are the nutritional value of one nectarine.
- Calories: 63
- Carbs: 15 grams
- Protein: 1.5 grams
- Fiber: 2.4 grams
It also contains some vitamins and minerals such as:
- Potassium
- Vitamin B3 (Niacin)
- Vitamin C
- Copper
[Source]
Are Nectarines Healthy for Ducks?
Yes, nectarines is a healthy treat for ducks, when given in moderation. Nectarines contains potassium, niacin, vitamin C and copper, which can help the duck with keeping their immune system strong and their heart.
Vitamin C does a bit more, it can help duck during stress in hot weather. In order to keep the duck healthy it’s important to only feed them this treat after their regular meals. Nectarines should in no way replace a meal for a domestic duck.
Do Ducks Like Nectarines?
Ducks tends to love nectarines, it has a sweet taste that ducks can’t seem to get enough of. That being said, while most ducks like to eat nectarines, some might not enjoy them and might prefer leafy greens instead.
How To Feed Nectarines To Ducks
The best to feed ducks nectarines to chop it up to smaller pieces to avoid the risk of choking and the place it in a shallow bowl with or without water. Ducks can reach the food better in water and they can filter the water away to eat the tasty nectarine.
If you want to feed a wild duck nectarine, the it’s pretty much the same as feeding a domestic duck. If you are near pond then you can feed the chopped pieces to the ducks by throwing in the water.
Foods Ducks Shouldn’t Eat
Fruits and vegetables are excellent treats for ducks and they not only taste great, but will provide them with some great minerals and vitamins to boost their health. Now there are a few foods that ducks really shouldn’t eat and below are some examples of foods that ducks should not eat.
Avocado contains a toxin called persin, which can lead to the duck dying. Never feed the avocado.
Bread is not toxic to ducks, however it contains no nutritional value and will keep the duck full, but not in a healthy. What can happen is that they eat their stomach full on bread and then stop looking for their natural nutritious food, which could lead to the duck becoming malnourished.
Oranges and lemons is though to impact a ducks eggs in a negative way. It can reduce the ducks ability to absorb calcium leading to their eggs becoming very fragile. This goes for all citrus fruits, they should all be avoided.
Waffles and pancakes holds no nutritional just like bread and should also be avoided. Waffles can even contain sugar, which is not good for ducks.
Spinach contains oxalic acid, which can lead to calcium deficiency for the duck. Same goes for baby spinach, these should not be fed to ducks.
More Fruits Ducks Can Eat
Ducks often love fruit and I though I might give some more tips on fruits that ducks can eat.
Always be sure to check if a fruit can be fed to a duck, because if give then wrong fruit can cause health issues for the duck. Make sure to see our thorough list of fruits ducks can enjoy.
Conclusion
So, giving ducks nectarines as a treat in addition to their regular is okay and it can benefit their healthy when fed in moderation. They contain natural sugar, so restricting nectarines as a treat is important. Otherwise they will eat until there is nothing left and it could impact their health in a negative way, because they might not get enough nutrients they need to grow from their regular diet.
Overeating nectarines could also lead to the duck becoming obese from all the sugar. If you are at a park or a pond feeding wild ducks nectarines, remember that more people might already fed them treats so don’t over do it when it comes to feeding wild ducks.
Just remember that they are wild ducks and can find their own natural food, but I know from experience that it’s always fun for the kids to feed ducks, while at the park.
Thanks for reading, take care!
Disclaimer: The information in this article is for informational purposes only. I'm not an expert or a veterinarian.
