Naturally, ducks can survive on their own. But when they’re domesticated, their welfare becomes our responsibility. Nonetheless, this is no excuse to treat these precious birds as garbage.
Not once, not twice. You must have seen people around feed different foods to ducks when they come to the park to play without considering whether it’s safe for them. Today’s question is this. Can duck eat french fries? And even if they do, is it okay to serve them?
Can Ducks Eat French Fries?
If you plan to give ducks french fries, you should think about this. Can ducks eat french fries? The short answer is Yes. But too much of it is dangerous for many reasons. For the most obvious part, fries is a processed food made for humans and not birds. And many of the additives used for making fries are not digestible by ducks.
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Fries are made with potatoes. Despite being omnivorous animals, ducks should only consume potatoes if cooked or boiled with no salt. Potatoes in the form of french fries or chips is dangerous to the health of ducks for the following reasons.
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Lowered Immunity
You should know that the health of your ducks is maintained with a proper balance of gut microbes and pathogenic microbes. When the latter overwhelms the former, then there is a problem.
The gut microbes in the ducks are crucial for ensuring ducks’ health. However, too much french fries will cause critical damage to these gut microbes, and as a result, the immunity of ducks will reduce. Therefore predisposing them to disease outbreaks.
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GIT Problems
Because fries are not originally made for ducks, and their digestive system is not the same as that of humans, it becomes a problem for them to digest french fries.
Therefore, if ducks are allowed to feed on fries long enough, they may have bloated stomachs, diarrhea, or other gastrointestinal problems.
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Obesity
When ducks gain too much fat, it strains their feet. You can expect ducks to gain excess weight when fed unhealthy junk like french fries for too long.
French fries contain far more calories than the average requirement of ducks. Once the duck has obtained its calorie needs, the rest (surplus) is stored in the body as fat which will inevitably result in excessive weight gain should things continue in this trajectory.
Excessive weight gain predisposes the ducks to other conditions like heart diseases and mobility issues like degenerative joint disease or infectious arthritis.
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Egg Defects
Because of the high salt concentration in french fries, it is dangerous to turn them into a staple for ducks. Even though ducks will benefit from consuming salt, the downside of having too much of it translates to salt poisoning and egg deformities.
Ordinarily, egg shells are supposed to be firm, healthy, and strong, but too much salt can result in ducks laying eggs with thin or no shells. Selye also showed how the excess salt intake by birds could lead to sudden death.
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Heart Diseases
Heart disease is not peculiar to humans alone. In large quantities, french fries are toxic to ducks’ well-being, and as a result, a duck may end up with severe complications like heart disease if they continue feeding on these fried potatoes.
Can Wild Ducks Eat French Fries?
Wild ducks are like those you keep as pets or raise on a farm. The only difference is that they are allowed to roam in the wild and are mostly responsible for feeding. According to the experts at Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, human food is bad for ducks.
Feeding them junk not ideal for their diet would only cause health problems with the potential to cause fatalities. Other problems may be in the form of water quality degradation, which even poses a danger to humans.
Can Ducklings Eat French Fries?
No. Look at it this way, if matured ducks cannot deal with fries, how then can ducklings with less-developed digestive systems cope? As much as possible, avoid serving junk or non-duck foods to ducklings. They need all the nutrients they can get to ensure healthy growth and development.
Can Ducks Eat Potatoes?
Yes. it makes sense to let ducks enjoy potatoes. But it’s safer if they are cooked or boiled. This way they are healthier and the solanine content reduces. Although, the reduction is not significant but it’s better than nothing. Solanine can cause poisoning so avoid feeding potatoes raw to ducks.
Can Ducks Eat Fries From Fast Foods?
It can be tempting for the lovers of Mcdonald’s, Burger King, and Wendy’s to want to give ducks french fries. But you shouldn’t. It’s not healthy for them, and doesn’t satisfy their nutrition in any way there are even fears that it could be toxic for them because of the unknown ingredients (Secret recipes) used for making the fries.
Is It Okay For Ducks To Eat French Fries With Sauce or Seasonings?
No, it brings about an increased chance of disease outbreaks. The ducks become lazy and sick,, and their immune and digestive systems will suffer.
Can Ducks Eat Fried Potatoes?
No. Potatoes are better off served to ducks cooked or boiled. Fried potatoes may contain lower solanine than their boiled counterparts but the fat, salt, and calories exceed what ducks need.
It’s also true that fried potatoes will increase the pathogenic bacteria in the ducks gut. So, it’s better not to give them at all, but if you do, make sure it’s one or two once a bluemoon.
What To Do If My Ducks Eat French Fries?
If there is a scale for measuring the fat content of foods, french fries will fall to the extreme end. Harvard Medical School experts claim that the salt and fat content of fries could raise the risk of cardiovascular disease. Sounds bad, right?
And as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It’s always better not to give fries to your ducks and even if they do, make sure it’s homemade potatoes that are boiled without any additives. But what if they eat french fries? You should ensure it’s not enough to cause them serious harm. In some cases, they may experience bloating and diarrhea. But if the symptoms are more grave, you are better off seeing a veterinary doctor for advice.
Ducks And French Fries: Conclusion
Finding answers to questions like if it’s okay for ducks to eat fries shows you’re concerned about the welfare of your ducks. And this behavior should be promoted across board. The more conscious we are about the health and nutrition of our ducks, the better they will fare.
Instead of feeding fries to ducks. Try alternatives like asparagus, aquatic plants, worms, and vegetables, among many others. They will fare well on natural staples, so give it to them if you truly love them.