Feeding Wild Ducks

Wild ducks have a varied diet in order to maintain body weight and to reproduce. Waterfowl, including ducks, require higher protein than domestic birds such as chickens. Ducks need plenty of fresh water both for consumption and for keeping themselves clean. Ducks also need grit in order to eat properly.

Types

Ducks eat a wide variety of foods including insects, shellfish, grains from fields, worms, slugs, fish, grasses, water plants and fish eggs. The types of food they consume depends largely on the species of duck and the environment the duck is in.

Time Frame

When ducks are young, they require higher amounts of protein to grow. As they grow older, they still need protein, but also need calories and calcium for reproduction.

Considerations

Most ducks cannot eat "people food" and remain healthy. Should you find a duckling in the wild, you should leave it there. If you take it in, you will need to feed it a food specially formulated for waterfowl. Ducks cannot eat food, such as medicated chicken food, intended for other species.

Ducks require fresh water to drink and bathe in and grit (small stones) to crush their food. Ducks swallow grit and the grit grinds the food in their gizzards.

Misconceptions

People will often feed bread to ducks, but bread isn't healthy for ducks and may cause liver and heart disease. What's more, feeding ducks causes the ducks to become reliant on people and not allow them to search for their own food, thus shortening their lives.

Warning

Do not feed ducks in the park as they can become habituated to humans. Likewise, domestic ducks cannot learn to forage properly for themselves and should never be turned loose in the wild.

Reference

Enchanted Learning: Mallard Ducks

Bioone.org: Diet and Body Mass of Wintering Ducks in Adjacent Brackish and Freshwater Habitats

InterestingAnimals.net: What Do Ducks Eat?

Avian and Exotic Clinic: Care and Feeding of Pet Ducks

HSUS: Wild Ducks of North America