Can Ducks Eat Garlic? Benefits, Risks, and How to Feed Them Properly

If you have a garden, you know that there are plenty of reasons to plant garlic.

The powerful odor of garlic repels pests from your plants, which reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides. Garlic also helps to reduce the growth of bacteria and fungus on vegetables, so it can help make vegetables last longer in the fridge. As a bonus, garlic is really healthy for people too!

With these benefits in mind, you may be wondering if ducks eat garlic. Yes! ducks eat garlic, as they should, within the limits they will benefit greatly from this addition to their diet.

Why Garlic Can Help Ducks

Garlic brings a long list of benefits for everyone and anything that eats it, ducks are not different! Garlic can help to keep their feathers healthy by repelling mites that could otherwise live on their bodies.

Ducks will also benefit from a healthier digestive system thanks to garlic’s ability to break down fat in the stomach. It can also help to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus that could cause infections of their skin and feathers.

There are a few ways that garlic can be used to help ducks. You can feed whole cloves in the water or on land, or you can use garlic powder in their food. As mentioned before, garlic is not harmful to ducks, so there is no reason why they cannot eat it!

If you have a garden, you know that there are plenty of reasons to plant garlic. The powerful odor of garlic repels pests from your plants, which reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides.

Garlic is a great addition to your ducks’ diet; it helps to improve their health and it does not have any negative effects on their bodies.

How To Feed Garlic To Ducks

As mentioned, garlic is beneficial to ducks’ diet. It has a strong odor that deters pests like mites and aphids, which helps to reduce the need for pesticides and herbicides. As mentioned before, it is not harmful to ducks, so there is no reason why they cannot eat it!

The easiest way to feed garlic to ducks is by mixing the powder with their food. You can purchase a garlic supplement for your ducks at most pet stores and feed it directly to them or mix it with their regular food.

You can also add whole crushed or powdered garlic from your garden as a supplement. Just add a few handfuls of garlic into the water and wait for them to eat it.

Or you can feed your ducks garlic by planting cloves of garlic in your garden or near plants you want to protect. You can also buy garlic bulbs from a farm or garden store and place them in a large container with some water until they sprout.

What Herbs Can Ducks Eat

Garlic, oregano, and onion are just a few of the herbs available to plant in your garden. Garlic is a powerful plant that is repulsive to most pests, so it can be planted as a deterrent for unwanted pests such as slugs and insects.

Oregano works well with other vegetables, while onions are great in salads or simply chopped up on sandwiches. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different herbs if you want your ducks to enjoy them too!

If you’re wondering what other plants ducks love to eat, here’s a list of some of the more common plants:

Edible Plants for Ducks

Basil

Cilantro

Parsley

Rosemary

Dandelion

Mint

What You Should Feed To Ducks

Do you want your ducks to eat garlic and other vegetables? Of course, you do! However, if you are going to feed them vegetables, make sure they are organic. The health of your ducks is more important than their taste.

Some food to keep away from ducks are:

  • Avocado: Avocados are highly toxic due to a toxin contained in the skin and seeds
  • Chocolate: Like for cats and dogs, chocolate contains theobromine which is toxic for ducks.
  • Coffee: Caffeine is toxic to them as well so be careful to use coffee to compost your yard
  • Sugary and Fatty Food: They are not equipped to digest this type of food, it will give them stomach problems
  • Citrus Fruits: Citrus fruits are toxic to ducks, too many acidic foods can give them diarrhea

Conclusion

Yes, ducks can eat garlic.

Garlic can be fed to ducks to make them stronger, healthier, and more resistant to bacteria. The best way to feed garlic to ducks is by sprinkling it on their food.

Herbs such as basil, thyme, oregano can also be fed to ducks.

Resources

Photo by Marco Willener on Unsplash

Photo by Shelley Pauls on Unsplash