Can Ducks Eat Mushrooms?

[Little Byrd]

Hi, I've read that ducks can eat enoki mushrooms, but are there other mushrooms that they can eat? Like white, portabello, oyster, chicken of the woods, or lion's mane? I know some of those aren't so familiar, but they are all edible for people when cooked, and I'm hoping someone might know if they're edible for ducks as well. I will be growing mushrooms in my backyard soon, which is where my ducks free range.

 

[lomine]

I've read that they shouldn't eat mushrooms. I think this is because in most cases the ducks will come into contact while free ranging. So many mushrooms are poisonous and most people, including myself, don't know the difference. If I see any mushrooms growing in my yard I pull them up so my ducks don't get to them. I will say that one of my ducks did find one I missed and ate it. It made a cloud of spores as she chomped it and ate it. I thought for sure she was going to die but she was fine.

 

[Amiga]

I have plans to grow some mushrooms, and plan to fence off the small area for growing them so that I will have some to eat, myself.

I think certain mushrooms are fine for ducks, but with mushrooms, there's much gray area, I think.

For example, I have read it's best for us to eat cooked mushrooms (though some argue that raw are fine). There are definitely toxic mushrooms out there, the fly agarics and worse.

Mine have eaten mushrooms on occasion and seem fine, though if anything that looks like an agaric comes up, I get it out of there a.s.a.p.

 

[Norf from the North]

I live out in one of the national forests and have both ducks and chickens which forage on our property. There are countless different types of spores (mushrooms) that grow wild, and both types of fowl seem uninterested at the very least, and possibly know better through instinct to avoid eating mushrooms. I say this with conviction because in the near-decade we have had both flocks, never once has ANY member of my family seen any bird show interest in eating mushrooms. This conclusion is based on my YEARS of observation. I think it is unimportant for you to worry about picking up and throwing away every spore you see pop up on your property, just so as to avoid a duck, chicken, turkey or quail mistakenly eating a potentially poisonous mushroom. Could it happen? Just like the night turns to day, ANYTHING is possible, but nature is far better at protecting animals than man will ever be, so let the spores live.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I don't believe we need to protect nature from nature in most cases.* There's all kinds of toxic plants out there, but if animals, including birds, were stupid enough to eat them, they would quickly (or already have) become extinct. We do, however, have to protect nature from us. So don't leave nails, screws, lead shot or toxic chemicals lying around or dripping where your chickens can get into them or they will certainly get into trouble.

*The exceptions are when we introduce non-native species such as flying carp, the wrong kind of crayfish, even snails, into areas or waterways where they don't belong. Rabbits into Australia ... the list goes on and on.