Farming Base (farmingbase.com) is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. This site also participates in other affiliate programs and is compensated for referring traffic and business to them.
If you have kept and raised ducks for years, you may have become aware of what they like to eat by now. However, for new duck owners, it is important to know which food to give, which to avoid, and how much. Today, we would be discussing a nutritious veggie, celery, and can duck eat celery? Do they like it? Should ducks eat celery?
Many questions come to the mind of a ducks keeper when adding a new treat to the diet. To give ducks the right food, a person is urged to do a little research to answer some important questions. Offering any treat without proper research can lead to unpleasant consequences as some treats are harmful to the ducks.
Coming back to our main topic, here is what you need to know about feeding celery to ducks.
Can Ducks Eat Celery?
Yes, ducks can eat celery, it is a highly nutritious veggie and healthy snack that does not pose a threat to the duck’s health. Celery is loaded with all the essential vitamins and nutrients like vitamins A, C, K, and more.
Many experts believe it should be fed to the ducks frequently owing to the numerous health benefits. Ducks can also be fed celery stalks, leaves, and seeds. Mix this treat with feed, fruits, or other veggies to compensate for the bland taste.
Do Ducks Like Celery?
It can not be termed as the favorite snack of ducks as celery does not have much to offer when it comes to taste or flavor. It would not be fair to call it downright unpalatable but it is surely bland and tasteless.
Besides being tasteless, Celery is a more fibrous vegetable than others which makes it harder to eat. Ducks have flat beaks so they can not crush or grind the food before eating them. If they do not like the taste, they are probably going to throw it away and look for something else.
What a pet owner could do is mix it with other treats, it will give them a chance to get used to the flavor first and get all the health benefits.
Can Ducks Eat Celery Stalks and Leaves?
Celery stalks are edible for the duck, in fact, they can eat anything from stalk to the pulp, the leaves, and the roots. Celery stalks have strings located in the middle of the stalks, they should be de-stringed first to make it easier for ducks to eat.
Celery leaves are one of the nutritious parts of the veggie essential for the health and wellness of the feathered bird. Leaves have potassium, calcium, and vitamin C in sufficient amounts for strong feathers and bones.
Nutritional Content of Celery
Want to know the nutritional composition of celery? You will be amazed by the nutritional value it provides. Celery contains Vitamin A, Vitamin B1 (Thiamin), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (Niacin), Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine), Vitamin B9 (Folate), Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Copper, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium, Manganese, Phosphorus, Water, Protein, Carbohydrates, and Dietary fibers.
Health Benefits of Celery for Ducks
Celery has been used in cooking for ages and it is safe for ducks to eat. Not only safe, but it also has many additional health benefits as well. Some of the health benefits of feeding celery to ducks are mentioned below.
Great Source of Vitamins
Ducks can get Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, and K from celery. Each aforementioned vitamin has a different role to play in improving a pet’s health. To summarize, they are responsible for overall growth and development. Other treats like bananas for ducks are also good sources of vitamins.
Minerals
Celery contains important minerals like Calcium, Phosphorus, and Iron that help strengthen the bones and muscles. The said minerals also promote the transportation of oxygen in the blood, ducks also eat raisins to fulfill mineral requirements.
Reduces Inflammation
Due to the presence of phytonutrients, celery reduces inflammation in the digestive tract, cells, blood vessels, and organs of ducks. Celery seeds contain more than 25 anti-inflammatory compounds to reduce inflammation in the body.
Antioxidants
According to recent studies, Celery’s nutritional composition includes vitamin C, beta carotene, flavonoids, and over 12 additional kinds of antioxidant nutrients. These antioxidants help protect the duck’s cells, blood vessels, and organs from oxidative damage.
Supports Digestive Tract
Many duck owners feed celery because it protects the entire digestive tract. It has a compound called Apiuman which is a pectin-based polysaccharide known for reducing stomach ulcers, improving stomach lining, and modulating stomach secretions.
Alkalizing Effect
When you feed ducks with different foods daily, it will cause a problem as some food items are acidic. Celery has a neutralizing effect on acidic foods and is important for different body functions as well.
How Often Should You Feed Celery to Ducks?
Celery leaves, stalks, seeds, and roots should be given under strict moderation. Any treat or snack given in excess would turn into a poison leading to unfortunate events.
Feed it once in a week or so and do not consider this veggie to be a substitute for a regular diet. Treat it as a snack and feed them with it once in a while.
How to Feed Celery to Ducks?
Celery is usually fed in raw form, however, there are minor preparations that go a long way in making it easier for ducks to eat. Here’s a checklist of preparing celery for ducks.
Buy fresh celery from the market, do not feed ducks rotten or weeks old celery. Organic celery is healthier and safer for the ducks.
Wash organic celery under running tap water and use chlorinated water for commercially grown celery. Wash it through before beginning the preparation.
Ducks are toothless and flat-beaked which makes it harder for them to eat large pieces of food. Prep it by cutting it into smaller pieces.
Mix finely chopped pieces of celery with other treats or the regular diet to mask the tastelessness of Celery.
The Bottom Line
Celery is a safe and healthy snack for ducks when given in the right proportion. It complements the traditional diet by adding many nutritional benefits.
From Grapes to rice different treats are safe for ducks. Learn other options like Can ducks eat cheese and Can duck eat Popcorn?
