The ULTIMATE list of DUCK Treats and Supplements...

[nettie]

anyone know who to talk to about making this a sticky?

I'm nt sure if spinach has the same calcium absorbtion problems in humans asit does in birds/ducks. I'll try to do some research on it.

Thanks for more ideas guys! If anyone has more ideas or can tell me what they think a star rating should be for any treat on the list with a question mark, let me know!

 

[10ducks]

Quote:
Nettie, where did you get the information about spinach being bad for ducks? I did a quick search and couldn't find anything, but as I said, it was a quick one.

For humans, the "problem" with calcium absorption and spinach is that spinach is high in oxalic acid. Spinach is also high in calcium, and the oxalic acid binds to the calcium and inhibits its absorption. But spinach has lots of iron and vitamins and thus it's still a great food for humans to eat. We just can't rely on it for significant amounts of calcium. The amount of oxalic acid in spinach isn't enough to impede the absorption of any calcium eaten with it, so if you have a spinach salad with cheese or a bowl of yogurt, you are still getting most of the calcium in the meal. I know beet greens and kale and chard have significant oxalic acid too; I believe it is one of the compounds that makes them taste sharp.

So I'm wondering if duck metabolism is different such that the effect of this oxalic acid-calcium interaction is greater. I also wonder how much oxalic acid there is in wild greens. I suspect that this "spinach is bad for ducks" information may be rooted in something real, but is very exaggerated. Just because spinach seems to be a mainstay treat of lots of duck-owners, and so many breeders and books recommend it. I'm not trying to shoot you down, Nettie, it's a great list and I printed it for my duck sitters, but I want to find out more about this before I stop giving it as a snack. I have a ton of extra spinach and swiss chard from my garden and I've been chopping and freezing it for winter duck treats, and I don't want it all to have been in vain!

 

[Wifezilla]

anyone know who to talk to about making this a sticky?

Just PM a mod. That is what I did when I got the Sexing Ducklings thread made in to a sticky.​

 

[froggie71]

Can't say it's terribly good for them, but cooked spaghetti is a favorite but rare treat.

Funny about watermelon. Funny, but the adult ducks won't touch it, but when our duckling was raised with chicks she ate it right up.

Gave our adults feeder goldfish for their 1st birthday and they were gone in minutes!

Definitely would be a great sticky!

 

[nettie]

As for the spinach, If you type in "Spinach hinder calcium birds" you will get a ton of websites telling about the problems birds can have with spinach.

Birds have a hard time absorbing calcium, hence why we have to give our ducks oyster shells. They can not absorb enough from just their food alone.

Because a deficiency in calcium could mean death for a female bird, (because the lack of calcium causes the lack of shells on eggs causing egg binding), spinach should not be given to female birds. I guess a bit every now and then or some for your males may not hurt your birds drastically, but do you really want to risk the lives of your ducks just because you want to feed them extra greens you may have?

I'm sure some people may have given their ducks spinach all the time and never had any problems, but i personally can not tell people it's ok to give their birds something that could harm them. As i said before, only give your ducks those items on that list at your own risk. Don't be surprised if your animals end up having a problem, because this food is KNOWN to cause problems.

Spinach also causes problem absorbing vitamin A as well as hindering calcium. That's two strikes against it. I just don't think it's wise to give your birds something that could harm them, but I can't stop anyone from doing so... Again, feed your animals what you think is best, but i'd rather give all duck owners the info about the bad effects of spinach.

 

[nettie]

ahh, i forgot about spaghetti... It'a like any other carb, just a little bit very rarley...

 

[priss]

I went to a nutritionalist a couple of years ago who said I was hurting my calcium levels (which she tested) because I ate spinach everyday. That's what she said, me I have no idea, but now I only have it a few times a week!!
Buuuut more importantly, wow this is fab, I am desperate for any hints to make my ducks happy. I am getting those peas!
And now I know why they didn't touch the pineapple my husband but down. (He means well, but he's a pillock!)

 

[nettie]

does anyone else have suggestions for star ratings? i guess i should get around to feeding my ducks some of those foods huh?

yesterday they got white meat from a rotisserie chicken, a little bit of rice pilaf (washed and strained it a bit to get the margrine off and rinse away some of the salt.) some quartered cherry tomatoes, and some corn. lol, they eat better than i do... They also got peas for playing with me. I taught them to jump up and catch them, and i also taught them to bow their heads. .. it's also fun throwing them down the hallway and watching the run after them... the pitter patter of duck feet on carpet is hysterical

 

[Wifezilla]

Duck Soup*****
No...this isn't soup you make out of ducks...it is a soup you make FOR your ducks.

Take kitchen scraps like zucchini or yellow summer squash ends and pieces, bits of cabbage, broccoli stems, etc... and run them for a few seconds in a food processor until they are in small pieces. Add these to about a gallon of water along with a tsp or two of raw apple cider vinegar.
My ducks LOVE it when they get soup for breakfast. On cold mornings, I make the water warm. You can even freeze kitchen scraps as you create them while cooking. Thaw in warm water and feed to the ducks in Winter when they have less access to greens.

 

[ruffles]

Hi, is spinach ok for chickens. . OUrs are fenced in 7 Hens, only 4 months. I give them veggies inaddition to their crumbles daily, also, since we still have grass, I also give them grass, and they have haw on top of their wood shavings in their hutch, I throw some
hay dialy on the ground, they love to scratch threw it. Am, I doing OK???


Sandi
Massachusetts