Stupid Question..

I have heard (don't know if its true) that the furry caterpillars are poisonous.

 

From the little I know, it's iffy. Often the bristles on caterpillars cause irritation, so I might just pass on that opportunity. Wouldn't it be nice to have an encyclopedia of Things Outdoors That Are Okay to Feed to Your Ducks? My first year with the runners, I was often looking up various plants' safety.

And I discovered my Runners won't eat red lily leaf beetles. But they go for Japanese beetles and squash bugs.

I also discovered that they do not always choose to eat what is healthy for them.

 

You might have better luck looking up the particular caterpillars.

I have had tobacco hornworm caterpillars on my tomatoes for two years running. At first, I chopped them and tossed them in with the guinea fowl. They wouldn't touch them. Then I read the horns can sting, and they have toxins in their bodies.

I do think it depends on the caterpillar. But I have heard of many that are poison. If you can't find an answer for the kind you have, might be safest not to feed it to them. And I'd second ... ducks don't always know what's good for themselves.

 

With out thinking the last two years I have tossed tomato horn worms in to the duck pool to watch as our swedish blues play tug of war.