Should Ducks Eat Bread? Here’s 11 Better Options

1. Peas

Defrosted frozen peas are perfect duck food. Protein-packed peas provide what ducks need to build strong muscles, plus plenty of vitamins and minerals for great feathers. Pea starch helps ducks feel full up, too.

Don’t cook duck-bound peas because cooking destroys their vitamin content. Allow peas to defrost first. Ducks love peas, so expect plenty of tail-wagging and happy quacks.

2. Sweet Corn

Like peas, sweet corn is packed with vitamins, minerals, and barely any fat. Its starch content is a healthy way for ducks to feel full, and they just love eating it.

Sweetcorn is great value, and ducks don’t mind if it’s frozen (defrost first), tinned, or fresh.

3. Lettuce

Ducks naturally eat aquatic weeds, so lettuce is a great way to replace leafy green goodness. Any lettuce type is good, but do make sure it’s not slimy or rotten because this makes ducks unwell, or it’ll be left to foul the water.

Give lettuce a rinse before offering it to ducks to remove pesticide traces.

4. Cabbage

Cabbage is another healthy green vegetable for ducks. Again, wash and shred the leaves first, but don’t worry about cooking it. That said, ducks also enjoy leftover cooked cabbage if it’s not salted.

All varieties of cabbage make good duck food. Savoy, red, sweetheart, and Brussels sprouts, too – they’re actually part of the cabbage family. Encourage kids to eat their greens by showing them a duck’s enthusiasm for leaves!

5. Kale

Kale is great for humans and ducks alike. Iron and mineral-packed dark green leafy veg are high on the “good things to feed ducks” list because they’re so healthy. Kale is particularly full of vitamin A, which boosts eyesight. Handy for a duck, keeping one eye out for crafty foxes.

Wash kale to remove trace pesticides and shred it first. Large kale leaves lead to unpleasant fights between ducks,. They’re all keen to get their beaks on it.

6. Green Beans

Tinned, frozen, or fresh green beans are a real treat for ducks who appreciate greens. There’s no need to cook them; just let frozen green beans thaw out first. If they’re long, chop them into half-inch-sized pieces.

7. Uncooked Oats

Uncooked raw oats provide ducks with carbohydrates and energy, so they’re a great pick for the winter months instead of bread. Rolled oats or instant porridge oats both count; ducks love them.

However, don’t feed cooked or wet oats because the moist mixture sticks to ducks’ beaks. In the worst cases, this can glue their beaks shut. Wet oats wiped from a beak onto feathers are also a problem because they interfere with their insulation and waterproofing.

8. Sunflower Seeds

Most birds love sunflower seeds; they’re a top pick for yard bird feeders throughout the year, but sunflower seeds aren’t just for finches! Ducks adore them, too.

The best value sunflower seeds come in bulk purchase, but they are pricey, so consider splitting the cost with a friend. If you grow sunflowers in the yard, save their heads for free duck food.

Sunflower seeds are packed with healthy fats that birds need, and there’s plenty of protein, too. Protein keeps their muscles strong enough to fly, which is important for prey birds.  

9. Wild Bird Seed Mix

A wild bird seed mix is a cheaper but still nutritious option than sunflower seeds. Because it contains more of the filler seeds that songbirds ignore, it costs less. Ducks don’t mind that filler wheat; they’ll be grateful for the food.

10. Sliced Grapes

A duck snack fit for an emperor is a pile of sliced grapes! Whole grapes pose a choking hazard, but sliced grapes are a hit with ducks that enjoy their sweet flavor.

Wash grapes first and cut them in half, longways as you would for a toddler. Ducks love them so much they’ll often take them from your outstretched palm.

11. Cracked Corn

There’s plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals in cracked corn kernels. These little pieces of corn are a godsend for ducks, especially in winter when there’s little else to offer.

It’s important to crack corn kernels first to avoid any choking issues. Many stores sell already cracked corn; it’s like they’re waiting for duck lovers to arrive and buy it.

Food Ducks Can’t Eat

So, those are the top 11 foods for ducks, but are there foods that ducks should never eat?

Yes. Although bread is not a great choice for ducks, a little bit is OK. However, these foods are a definite no for ducks:

• Any moldy or rotten food
• Salty or sugary food
• Spices
• Alcohol
• Oily foods
• Onions
• Avocado
• Rhubarb
• Eggplant
• Raw or uncooked dried beans
• Green tomatoes

And surprisingly, spinach. Spinach prevents calcium absorption, which causes egg-binding issues that can be fatal.