Ducks are not choosy and will eat a variety of seeds, weeds, insects, fish, grass and other edible leaves. Forage material and small plants are their favorite food and make up most of their diets. So, can ducks eat bananas?
We are fond of feeding most of our table scraps and leftovers to our poultry. This is good because some leftovers like fruits tops and peels contain good nutrients.
Do ducks like bananas? In this article I am going to cover everything you need to know about ducks and bananas. This will help you know whether they are good for ducks to eat or not.
Let’s roll!
Can ducks eat bananas?
The answer is yes! Bananas are good for ducks to eat. These tasty fruits are packed with a variety of vitamins and minerals making them healthy for ducks to eat.
Bananas are also very sweet and appetizing for ducks to eat. When they are plenty after a bumper harvest, be kind and let your ducks enjoy them.
Cooked or uncooked bananas
In most cases, raw green bananas have to be cooked first before we eat them. However if you want to cook them for your ducks, add no oil, seasonings or salt.
Ducks love cooked foods very much but salt and oils are not good for their health. You can chop uncooked bananas too and toss them to your birds.
Raw bananas are hard and tough making them not so good for ducks to eat. If they do not like them at all do not be surprised.
When cooked, bananas become soft, easy to swallow and digest. They are appetizing and can be served either whole or mashed and mixed with other treats like whole corn.
Ripe or unripe bananas
When well ripen, bananas are soft sweet and good for ducks to eat. They can be peeled and served whole or chopped into pieces and put in duck feeders.
Ripe bananas are sweet and contain sugar which tastes good for ducks. Unripe ones are hard and tough for ducks to peck especially because they have a flat beak.
If you want ducks to eat unripe bananas, chop them into bite-sized pieces before feeding.
Can ducks eat banana peels?
Yes ducks can eat banana peels just like they eat apple peels. However, peels of bananas are tough, leathery and can easily choke them.
Chop these peels into small pieces to make it easy for your Cayuga drakes to swallow and digest. You can also mash them into a paste and mix with other treats like strawberries.
Peels especially of raw bananas can also be cooked to make them soft. But before feeding banana peels to ducks, wash them to remove any dirt or chemicals.
Avoid feeding store bought bananas and peels. They may be laden with pesticides and other farm chemicals which can be very toxic when swallowed.
Can ducks eat banana plants?
Ducks are very different from chickens in a way. While chickens will prefer to eat more seeds and fewer plants, ducks will do the opposite.
These webbed critters will eat banana stems and leaves very well. However, the stems first need to be crushed into a paste or chopped into small pieces.
But always avoid those stems and leaves which are contaminated with pesticides. It will be better if you feed geese and ducks banana plants that come from your farm.
However, these birds have different tastes and preferences like we do. If one duck do not like them, do not force it and its will with her.
How many bananas can ducks eat?
Bananas are treats and it is advisable you feed treats to ducks in moderation. They are meant to supplement their diets with extra nutrients.
Do not do away with their main course or replace it with bananas and peels. Remember that these tasty fruits are not duck pellets and do not have all the nutrients your birds require.
In addition to that, bananas are sweet and contain too much sugar in them. If ducks get used to sweet foods they may develop a taste for sugar which may become a challenge to adjust.
Furthermore, too much sugar is converted in to fat which can lead to obesity and overweight. When they become too heavy, they are prone to diseases and cannot flee when chased by predators.
What are the health benefits of feeding bananas to ducks?
Bananas are nutrient rich making them good for ducks to eat. However, this does not mean that crumbles are no longer important.
Study the table below and see what nutrients bananas will add to your ducks.
Nutrient Value
Energy 134kcal
Cholesterol 0
Protein 1.64g
Fat 0.495g
Carbohydrate 34.2g
Fiber 3.9g
Sugars 18.3g
Vitamin C 13g
Vitamin K 0.75ug
Manganese 0.405mg
Iron 0.39mg
Potassium 537mg
Magnesium 40.5mg
Phosphorus 33mg
Sodium 1.5mg
Zinc 0.225mg
Iron
Iron is a very important component in the blood. It helps prevent a blood condition called anemia which prevents smooth oxygen circulation.
Fiber
Fiber helps in the digestion of food where it ensures that the bowels are emptied in a smooth way thus preventing constipation.
It also helps control blood sugar keeping your ducks strong and healthy.
Protein
Protein helps in the body building. The cells, tissues and organs are all made of protein. Feeding a protein rich diet will also help in the development of feathers and beaks.
Do ducks like bananas?
Yes! Ducks like bananas and will eat them well. These treats are sweet, soft and easy for your birds to digest.
However, these birds are not wise but you are. If you leave bananas to them, they will eat too much which is very unhealthy.
Bananas are good for ducks when fed in moderation. Toss once in a while just to supplement their diet with extra nutrients.
Store bought bananas are not good for ducks to eat. They may be laden with chemicals which can lead to serious health issues or even death wen ingested.
Overripe bananas, cooked bananas and raw green bananas are good for ducks.
How to feed bananas to ducks
There are several ways which can be used to serve bananas to chickens. They include:
Whole
This is just tossing whole bananas directly to your male Welsh harlequin ducks. The birds will enjoy the soft flesh together with the peels.
However this method exposes them to dirt and germs they collect on the bedding. Use large bowls or bucket lids as feeders to keep these treats clean.
Mashed
Here the bananas are crushed into a paste before they are fed to ducks. These birds love soggy feeds and they will enjoy them this way.
However put them in duck feeders and serve. Tossing them on the ground will make ducks step on them and spread this mash which can be very disgusting.
Mashed bananas can be mixed with other duck treats like grapes, raisins, mealworms and chopped celery.
Hanged
Hanging treats is a good way to keep ducks busy and break boredom. This will keep them occupied pecking instead of fighting and bullying.
Pass a string on the bananas and hang them inside your duck pen. Also bananas can be [pet inside a treat ball with other treats like pineapple and chopped mango.
Can baby ducks eat bananas?
Baby ducks can eat bananas out of curiosity. However these tasty treats are not the right food for these little critters.
As I said earlier, they do not have all the nutrients ducklings require in their bodies and feeding them with these fruits can lead to malnutrition.
Baby ducks require a high protein starter feed for healthy growth. Bananas are sugar rich and can lead to overweight and obesity.
In addition to this, the digestive systems of ducklings are not fully developed to digest treats. Also, they have more feathers, tissues and organs to develop thus need more protein in their diet.
Final Thoughts
Bananas are good treats for ducks. However, they are not the main duck food and need to be fen sparingly and in moderation.
Whole banana peels are too big for ducks to swallow. Therefore, chop them up into small pieces to avoid choking.
Those store bought fruits may be laden with chemicals and are therefore a health hazard to your ducks when ingested.
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