What To Feed Baby Ducks In An Emergency?

Baby ducks are way more sensitive than adult ducks. Thus, you need to be very careful about every aspect related to them and, most significantly, their diet. But maintaining a healthy diet might not always be possible. So, what to feed baby ducks in an emergency?

If you’re stuck in an inappropriate circumstance, mashed boiled eggs are the best solution for ducklings. They’re allowed to consume different plants and bugs as well, but they must also be mashed since baby ducks can’t have large pieces of food. But all these options are temporary and shouldn’t be continued for more than a week or two.

Any factor regarding baby ducks’ food would require thorough elaboration, not just a short answer. That’s what we’re here for; we’re about to break down all the essential details. Keep scrolling down!

Looking for more article about ducklings:

How Do I Serve Eggs to Baby Ducks?

Baby ducks love eating eggs. You can serve scrambled or hard-boiled eggs to them.

While yolks have sufficient protein that helps baby ducks grow, the white portion fills in for calcium requirements. For baby ducks, the yolk will be enough.

However, you can’t serve eggshells to baby ducks as you do to adult ones. They’re too hard to consume for them.

Is Egg Good for Baby Ducks?

Undoubtedly eggs are the healthiest food for ducklings. They’re super rich in nutrients and never fail to get your ducks a bit healthier. No wonder experts have already stamped this as the best emergency food option for ducks.

Health Benefits of Eggs for Baby Ducks

Eggs contain almost every food element that a duck can possibly need. So, it’s the best treat for growing ducks in an emergency. Let’s have a look at what food ingredients eggs are filled with.

Protein: The amount of protein in 100 grams of egg (13%) is accurate for a baby duck’s requirements. Protein is indispensable for a duck’s muscle, nails, and feather build. This food element is somehow related to the growth factor of every body part.

Potassium: Ducklings are most likely to go through heat stress phases. During these conditions, iron is a must to ensure sufficient blood production. Potassium in the egg takes this responsibility.

Magnesium: For bone and internal organs growth, baby ducks require magnesium which eggs are full of. It also helps the neural system in baby ducks to utilize all other food nutrients.

Calcium: Calcium deficiency in baby ducks can be life-threatening for your little ducks. It can make muscles weak and brittle the bones.

Note: Many say eggshells (forbidden for baby ducks) contain Calcium. But besides eggshells, many other parts of an egg contain small amounts of Calcium.

Vitamin A: Vitamin A is responsible for maintaining the skin, bones’ growth, remodeling, mucous membrane maintenance, and so on. It’s essential for vision improvement and eye growth, and the stability of nerve and cell membranes.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the Calcium to get absorbed. Without this, the baby duck will face calcium deficiency (the consequences are mentioned above).

Vitamin B6: This vitamin is essential for producing several neurotransmitters. These ensure connections between the nerves for carrying signals.

Vitamin B12: Without vitamin B12, the brain and organs of baby ducks won’t grow and work appropriately. So, Niacin (vitamin B12) deficiency is as good as a death path.

Iron: Iron takes care of the immune system in baby ducks. It’s mandatory for regulating blood flow and a healthy digestive system.

What Other Foods Can Baby Ducks Have in Case of Emergency?

Egg definitely is a lifesaver during an emergency. But what if you fail to arrange baby duck food and maintain its diet over a week or two? Thus, you need to learn about more food options.

Apples and Pears

Mash the apples and pears before you serve them to your little birdies. They would be too hard to consume without mashing for the baby ducks. But make sure you exclude the seeds and get just the flesh.

Tomatoes

Again, only the flesh is allowed since the vines and leaves would be toxic for the baby ducks. Gently squeeze the tomatoes (not too hard unless you want to make juice out of them) and make a paste, and then you can serve.

Cherries

It’s not mandatory to mash these since they’re already small and soft enough. So, baby ducks can easily consume this. Make sure you get rid of the stones, though.

Berries

Raspberries, strawberries, and blueberries are included in this list. Remove the seeds and mash them before serving.

Veggies for Baby Ducks

Now it’s time for the vegetables that baby ducks are allowed to eat:

Grass (make sure they haven’t been commercially sprayed using chemicals)
Cucumber
Swiss chard
Peas
Lettuces
Salad greens

These veggies are rich in nutrients (Calcium, protein, zinc, and magnesium) that baby ducks need to stay fit. You can add these alternatively to your baby duck’s diet.

What Human Food Can Baby Ducks Eat?

Apart from veggies and fruits, there are plenty of regular human foods that baby ducks are allowed to consume. Let’s have a look at those:

Cooked or boiled whole wheat (contains thiamine, niacin, iron, vitamin B6, and Calcium)
Brown Rice (filled with Calcium, Phosphorus, Manganese, Magnesium, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, and iron)
Oats (packed with fiber, protein, and Calcium)
Whole Grain (comes with B vitamins, iron, zinc, and antioxidants)
Sugar-free cereals (protein, Calcium, and fiber)

Note: The significance of each of these food elements in the human food options for baby ducks is mentioned above)

Frequently Asked Questions

01. How much egg can a baby duck eat?

Baby ducks are allowed to have eggs in 10% of their daily diet. In case of an emergency, when you’re serving just egg, you increase the amount slightly.

02. Can sick baby ducks eat eggs?

Sick baby ducks mostly drink sugar and water. If you see they’re getting better, you can serve a very small amount of hard-boiled eggs to them, not raw ones (which contain bacteria).

03. How long can baby ducks go without food?

Baby ducks can barely make it up to 3 days without food. If you desire to see them fit and cheerful, ensure their certain access to food and water 24/7.

Wrapping Up!

Baby ducks have to maintain their diet properly with essential food elements (especially protein and Calcium) no matter what. Thus, neither you can leave them without appropriate food or serve anything random to them.

But sometimes, we face points of no return where arranging appropriate food for baby ducks might seem far and between. Thus we’ve come such a long way in explaining “what to feed baby ducks in an emergency?“

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