You should mainly be feeding your ducks some proper duck feed. However, on occasion, from time to time you may want to treat them a little bit with some fruits and vegetables. On this page, we are going to help you to determine whether ducks should be eating watermelon. So, can ducks eat watermelon? Ultimately, yes, but let’s discuss in a bit more in depth.
Can Ducks Eat Watermelon?
Yes, ducks can eat watermelon. In fact, it is a great little snack for them, particularly during the warmer months of the year.
Obviously, watermelon is going to be mostly made of water. This means that during the warmer months of the year, the watermelon is going to be providing them with some water intake.
A lot of people will freeze the watermelon before feeding it to their ducks when it is warm out. The ducks absolutely love it.
It isn’t just the water that is beneficial to the ducks, though. There are plenty of nutrients packed into it. This includes:
- Vitamin C: this has been proven to benefit the egg-laying of a duck. If you are raising your ducks for eggs, then Vitamin C is important.
- Vitamin A: this increases the size of the duck. it is important that ducks get enough Vitamin A when they are ducklings, particularly if you are raising meat birds.
- Potassium: this can help to combat dehydration.
This is just a small smattering of everything that can be found in watermelons. Long story short; watermelons are going to be healthy for ducks to eat.
How Bad is Watermelon For Ducks to Eat?
There are a lot of myths around this question and we know where this is coming from. Most people believe that the watermelon is bad for ducks simply because it contains sugar.
This is true to some extent. Ducks will eat all parts of the watermelon. This includes the rind, although they do tend to prefer the juicier interior. However, you do have to remember that watermelon is high in sugar.
The good news is that the sugar of the watermelon is natural sugar, this means that this is the only type of sugar your ducks should ever eat!
However, you will really want to be limiting the amount of watermelon the duck eats otherwise it can lead to health issues.
This means that you should only be feeding them watermelon once per week, at the most. The same goes for all fruits.
Serving Watermelon to Ducks
Perhaps the best way to serve the watermelon is to just cut it into half and leave it in the duck’s feeding area. They will eat it straight from the rind. Some may even eat the rind.
You could also cut the watermelon into smaller chunks and mix it up with other fruits in a fruit salad.
This will provide an even better treat for your ducks, and ensure that they get even more nutrients into their system.
You will end up with happier ducks too, which is always a plus.
Don’t forget; during the warmer months of the year, you may want to freeze the watermelon. This will help to cool them down.
Finally; make sure you clean out any watermelon that has been uneaten at the end of the day.
It will rot otherwise, and this will attract pests to your duck’s feed and that is just going to cause problems.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Ducks can absolutely eat watermelon. However, like most foods outside of the standard duck feed, they should be eating it in moderation.
If you want to give your ducks a brilliant snack during the warmer months of the year, we really can’t think of anything better than a bit of tasty watermelon.
Related articles:
– Can ducks eat grapes?
– Can ducks eat carrots?
