What can i feed my chickens and ducks?

A mixed flock can be fed regular chicken layer feed. Ducks do require slightly higher levels of niacin than chickens, so adding some brewer’s yeast is a good idea. Brewer’s yeast (up to a 2.5 percent) can help ducks’ bones grow correctly and is beneficial to chickens, as well.

Can I feed my chickens duck food?

Can chickens and ducks share the same food? As adults, chickens and ducks can eat the same foods as long as they are unmedicated.

What fruits and vegetables can chickens and ducks eat?

  • Greens, herbs &amp, weeds make great treats for ducks. …
  • Fruits – there are lots of fruits that your ducks will enjoy like tomatoes, chopped grapes, berries, watermelon, cantaloupe and bananas. …
  • Vegetables – fresh veggies can be fed to your ducks daily, some favorites include corn, peas, beans, cucumber, cabbage and broccoli.

What can’t chickens and ducks eat?

Avocado (flesh, pits, or skins) – contain toxic persin, which accounts for myocardial necrosis. Just 5% of avocado can kill a small bird in 48 hours! White Potatoes (cooked or raw, skins or flesh) – part of the nightshade family, one that is not good for chickens, and contain the toxin solanine.

What should you not feed ducks?

DON’T: Feed ducks bread or junk food. Foods like bread and crackers have no nutritional value to ducks and can cause malnutrition and painful deformities if consumed too much. DO: Feed ducks cracked corn, oats, rice, birdseed, frozen peas, chopped lettuce, or sliced grapes.

Do ducks need a pond?

Ducks don’t need a pond to be happy, but they definitely enjoy splashing and paddling around in a kiddie pool. In addition to having a place to bathe, ducks need a deep enough water source to keep their mucous membranes moist.

Can ducks eat apples?

Grapes, bananas, plums, watermelon, pears and peaches are all fine for ducks. Avoid: … Probably not a problem as long as they are only fed in moderation, but if you’re worried, remove the pits and seeds from apricots, apples, cherries, peaches, pears and plums before feeding them to your ducks.


Can ducks and chickens eat carrots?

Carrots. … The chickens and ducks love the carrot tops and will also eat carrot peels and greens. Whole raw carrots should be chopped or grated, especially for the ducks to manage, but cooked carrots are fine for them all to eat in any shape or size.

Can ducks and chickens have rice?

Contrary to popular belief, rice is safe for consumption for chickens whether it is cooked or uncooked. If you’re going to cook it, make sure to avoid adding extra sodium in the form of seasonings.

What scraps do chickens eat?

Examples of raw fruits and vegetables that can be fed include: vegetable peels, bananas, apple, berries, carrot, bok choy, silver beet, spinach, cabbage or broccoli. As a treat your hens can also have some cooked food such as rice, pasta, beans, or bread in small amounts [1].

Can chickens and ducks eat fruit?

Absolutely! In fact, all melons are a favorite of both chickens and ducks. These are great for hydration. If you are giving them a whole one break it open for them, but they will be just as happy cleaning up all your rinds.

Can chickens have applesauce?

Apple sauce is good too. Asparagus: Asparagus is a powerhouse of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber. Chickens generally will not eat it, but if they do, make sure they don’t eat too much as it can taint the taste of the eggs. Bananas &amp, Banana Peels: Yes.

Can chickens eat iceberg lettuce?

Lettuce is generally good for your birds, but beware of the iceberg variety. Iceberg lettuce has little nutritional value and can lead to diarrhea. Stick with dark, leafy greens.

Can you feed ducks uncooked rice?

It’s also important to only give plain rice – never seasoned or fried rice. Giving lots of uncooked rice can give ducks a sore stomach because it reacts with water in their gut. Uncooked rice is perfectly safe in small doses though – in spite of what urban myths might tell you.

Can you feed ducks Cheerios?

Duck Food to Avoid

Bread, chips, crackers, donuts, cereal, popcorn, and similar bread-type products or junk food scraps are not the right foods for birds. Feeding ducks bread is bad because the food has little nutritional value and can harm ducklings’ growth.

What treats can I give my ducks?

17 Treats for Ducks

  • Mealworms. Ducks and chickens alike love mealworms, these are excellent protein sources that your flock will love as treats. …
  • Algae. …
  • Herbs, Green &amp, Weeds. …
  • Edible Flowers. …
  • Fresh Fruit. …
  • Fresh Veggies. …
  • Healthy Grains. …
  • Scrambled Eggs.

Do ducks attract rats?

So yes ducks can attract rats but so can other liveatock.

Do ducks and chickens get along?

Sharing is caring! Domestic ducks can peacefully cohabitate with backyard chickens. Duck and chickens basic feed and shelter requirements are very similar, which makes it possible for them to be coop mates, but there are a few considerations that you will need to keep in mind when adding waterfowl to a chicken coop.

Will backyard ducks fly away?

Other breeds of ducks, such as Runner ducks, are able to fly for short distances, but cannot achieve sustained flight. Thus for all these types of domesticated ducks, it isn’t necessary to clip their wings in order to keep them from flying away.

Do ducks like applesauce?

✅Apples-Applesauce is a messy treat, but ducks love it. Try mixing it with other fruits or veggies to help contain the mess a bit. Leave the seeds out, as even a small amount of the apple seeds can be toxic.

Can chickens eat grapes?

Can chickens eat grapes? Yes – in moderation. Grapes are another cracking source of vitamins A and C, as well as the vitamin B, complex, and also contain important trace elements such as copper and calcium.

Can I feed my ducks applesauce?

This delicious food can be fed to your duck as long as they are cut up small enough for consumption, including thin apple slices. … Some sources claim that the whole core itself is too hard for your duck to properly digest, so it may be best to avoid feeding it to your duck.

What scraps not to feed chickens?

What Not to Feed Chickens: 7 Things to Avoid

  • Avocadoes (mainly the pit and peel) As with most of the things on this list, I was able to find several people who report feeding avocado to their flock without problem. …
  • Chocolate or Candy. …
  • Citrus. …
  • Green Potato Skins. …
  • Dry Beans. …
  • Junk Food. …
  • Moldy or Rotten Food.

Can chickens eat raw celery?

Chickens can eat celery stalks. However, if you give them the stalks without cutting them up, they will only peck at them and leave them. For them to eat the stalks, you have to cut them into smaller sizes that each chicken can carry in its mouth.

Can chickens have cucumbers?

Backyard chickens enjoy lettuce, Swiss chard, kale, cabbage, tomatoes, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cooked beans, pumpkin, squash, cucumbers and peppers, to name a few. They also enjoy apples, berries, grapes, melons and bananas without peels. … Chickens love to eat seeds and dried morsels.

Can you feed ducks uncooked oatmeal?

Oats and Similar Grains

Whether its steel-cut, rolled, or quick, uncooked oats are a better alternative to bread to feed ducks. You can also feed ducks wheat, barley, and similar grains.

Can chickens eat corn husks?

These crops built their reputations as they provide satisfaction and the daily nutrients the body needs. Corn is a good snack for chickens but in moderation. Both the kernel and husks are edible for your chicken friends. In fact, corn is one of the ingredients when it comes to feeding production.

Can you feed chickens uncooked oatmeal?

Can chickens eat oatmeal? Yes. … Chickens love oats, which are an excellent source of vitamins, protein, and antioxidants. Raw or cooked, oats provide essential vitamins and nutrients including calcium, choline, copper, iron, magnesium, niacin, riboflavin, thiamine, and zinc.

Can chickens eat banana peels?

You may think the peels are just scraps, but they are delicious and even more nutritious than the banana itself. If you would like to try them, just sprinkle some brown sugar over them after they have been boiled until soft. Your chickens won’t need sugar on their peels. Just cook them until they’re tender.

Can you give chickens vegetable peelings?

Don’t feed your chickens vegetable peelings!

Can chickens eat sunflower seeds?

Whether fed as part of regular meals or given as treats, chickens will readily devour sunflower seeds, or even the whole sunflowers themselves if given the chance. … Even if you do not wish to feed sunflower seeds all year, adding them to rations during fall and winter is quite helpful to birds living in cold climates.

Can ducks eat scrambled eggs?

Yes, ducks can eat scrambled and boiled eggs. For adult ducks, you can include the eggshells (provides extra calcium). For ducklings, leave the eggshells out. They’ll be too hard for your tiny pets to eat, and too much calcium can inhibit organ growth.

Can ducks eat corn kernels?

Ducks have a varied omnivorous diet, including birdseed, wheat, barley, uncooked or quick oat, and other similar grains. Seemingly, these birds are impartial to corn and can eat any, fresh corn from the cob, dry and cracked corn, or tinned, and frozen whole corn kernels-be sure to defrost them first, though.

Can ducks eat sunflower seeds?

The good news is that ducks can eat any type of roasted or unroasted sunflower seeds including black oil and striped sunflower seeds and it doesn’t matter if they have their shells or not. The important thing to remember when buying sunflower seeds for your ducks is to get those that don’t have any salt added to them.

Can chickens eat refried beans?

Can chickens eat refried beans? Nope, when they are cooked as in refried beans or bean soup, they are fine. But if you feed your chickens dried pinto beans with the shell on them (meaning unsprouted), it’s like feeding them a natural insecticide! So make sure to sprout those before giving them to your flock.

Can chickens eat popcorn?

Chickens should not be fed all kinds of popcorn. … This means the popcorn should be free of salt, oil, sugar, cheese, and any other added flavorings. Also, the popcorn should always be popped, don’t offer them just the raw kernels. Chickens can have problems digesting unpopped kernels of popcorn.

Can chickens eat peanut butter?

Moldy food should never be given to chickens. Peanut Butter: Yes. Yes, they can have peanut butter, but in moderation as it is very high in fats, carbs and protein.

Do chickens eat carrots?

Watermelon, strawberries, and blueberries make healthy snacks for chickens when fed in moderation. A few flock favorites include: Vegetables: Lettuce, beets, broccoli, carrots, kale, swiss chard, squash, pumpkins and cucumbers.

Can chickens eat corn on the cob?

You may wonder can chickens eat corn cobs? Yes they can. They can be used to make a nutrient-rich activity treat. This treat is high in protein that will help to keep them active and warm through the colder months and fight boredom if they need to be confined.

Is cabbage good for chickens?

Vegetables – Most cooked or raw vegetables are okay to feed your chickens. Suggestions include broccoli, carrots (cooked or shredded), cabbage, chard, cucumbers, kale, lettuce, pumpkins, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, and tomatoes.