If you spend time figuring out if you can feed your ducks with tomatoes, for example, don’t you worry for they can eat tomatoes? Tomatoes are not like avocadoes and other food that are okay for humans but toxic to ducks. You can feed your ducks different varieties of tomatoes; they can safely consume them without ill side effects on their health. Nevertheless, it will be best not to provide them with the leaves, stems, and vines of the tomato plant, for these parts are lethal to them.
Good food is essential if you want your ducks to produce good meat and eggs. Without good food, they will not get the proper nutrients their bodies require to grow, stay healthy, and be active. Yet, what might be nutritious for humans, might be lethal to your ducks because of their different anatomy. As such, you should assess every food you feed them to know whether it is toxic or detrimental to their well-being.
Would Eating Tomatoes Be Healthy to Your Ducks?
Some ducks might not even touch your offering of tomato because of its tangy taste. But if your ducks don’t mind eating tomatoes, you can include ripe tomatoes in their diet. However, before you do so, it will be best to learn the following nutrients and minerals your ducks can get from ripe tomatoes:
Protein
Your ducks can get around .9 grams of protein in a small raw tomato. Protein, of course, is suitable for repairing and maintaining their body tissues. It is the building block of the bodies of ducks. It also provides a primary source of energy for your birds. Besides, it is involved in the production of some important hormones.
Protein makes up enzymes. Moreover, protein is vital in transporting and storing specific molecules like hemoglobin, which transport blood throughout the body. Lastly, it forms antibodies to help prevent illness and infection in your ducks. So, with its protein dose, tomato is healthy for your ducks.
Phosphorus and Calcium
Ducks will find phosphorus and calcium most valuable among the minerals found in tomatoes. These elements are crucial to developing the duck’s bills, bones, and feathers. Besides, if your ducks are laying eggs, they would need ample calcium to lay quality eggs. As such, the calcium from tomatoes can help replenish their calcium needs.
A deficiency in phosphorus, on the other hand, in young ducks might result in abnormal bone development. Lack of phosphorus and calcium might lead to a lack of skeletal calcification and other diseases like tibial dyschondroplasia. Ducks will benefit from the phosphorus and calcium present in ripe tomatoes.
Vitamins A and C
Tomatoes come with vitamins A and C. These vitamins play a crucial role in ducks’ overall health and well-being. Vitamin A, for example, works for the smooth functioning of the duck’s reproductive system. It also contributes to the duck’s respiratory system’s well-being. On the other hand, Vitamin C bolsters ducks’ immune system, enabling them to fight various illnesses and diseases.
Calories
Ducks generate energy from the calories they consume. Tomatoes, however, come with a moderate level of calories. Yet, this level is sufficient to energize your ducks. Ducks burn twelve times more energy when they are flying. But if they don’t fly, they can also use calories as they roam around while foraging for food.
So, they would need more calories from the food they eat. Tomatoes, though with a low level of calories, can help augment the caloric needs of your ducks.
Folic Acid
Tomatoes also come with folic acids. Folic acid is essential to the growth of ducks. Folic acid deficiency in ducklings will lead to a slow growth rate in ducklings and other diseases like enlarged liver, macrocytic anemia, and lowered titer of amylase and trypsin activity in their duodenum.
Besides, folic acids contribute to quality eggs that have rich folate. Folate is a substance that helps prevent many ailments in ducks.
Potential Risks Involved in Feeding Your Ducks with Tomatoes
Feeding ducks with tomatoes is not all advantageous to your ducks. It can also pose potential risks you should be wary of. For example, tomatoes belong to the nightshade family. This means that they carry high levels of alkaloids.
Their leaves and stems are toxic, and thus, you should never dare to feed their leaves and stems to ducks. Besides, it will be wise not to give your ducks green tomatoes, for they contain tomatine. Tomatine is toxic to ducks likewise.
Stick with feeding them ripe red tomatoes as treats. Besides, ensure that you remove the seeds. Likewise, monitoring your ducks if they ingest green tomatoes will be advisable. Look for signs of loss of appetite, convulsions, diarrhea, dilated pupils, and coordination loss after eating tomatoes.
Tomatoes can also augment the water intake of your ducks because they carry a lot of water. As such, you should also watch for over-hydration of your ducks. Excessive intake of tomatoes might also affect the smell and color of their litter. So, you better watch out for these changes.
Proper Way of Feeding Your Ducks with Tomatoes
Cutting the tomatoes into small chunks will be best when preparing to feed your ducks with tomatoes. This way, you can check if the tomatoes aren’t rotten. Moldy and spoiled tomatoes will not do your ducks any good because mold spores will only damage your ducks’ respiratory systems.
You can also combine the tomatoes with other food to make a palatable and delicious mix. If your ducks don’t like pure tomato feeds, mixing tomatoes with other food will do the trick to help your ducks eat tomatoes.
Besides, some ducks might refrain from eating anything red, so it will help if you can mix tomatoes with other food. You can mix, for example, tomatoes with kale and other veggies. Moreover, you can serve the ducks a bit of the mixture you’ve prepared to see if they would like the taste.
Should You Feed Your Ducks Unripe Tomatoes?
You may think unripe tomatoes, like other green veggies, would be suitable for your ducks. But they are not. Even the not completely ripe tomatoes might be bad for your ducks. So, when feeding ducks with tomatoes, you should ensure that the tomatoes are ripe.
Another thing is that the tomato plant is not safe for your ducks. Its leaves and trunks carry a toxin called “Solanine,” a glycoalkaloid poison. This toxin protects the plants from pests and is found in the green parts of the plants like stalks, stems, and leaves. It is also possible that the unripe tomatoes, being green, might likewise contain this toxin. So, it will be best to refrain from feeding unripe tomatoes to your ducks, for this toxin might harm your duck’s health.
Can You Feed Your Ducks Cherry Tomatoes?
The Cherry tomatoes are small round tomatoes considered a genetic crossbreed between domesticated garden tomatoes and wild currant type of tomatoes. They are smaller than ordinary tomatoes and are perfect for pizza and garnishing salads.
Of course, you can feed your ducks with cherry tomatoes, and they are safe to eat for your ducks. Besides, you don’t need to slice them, for they are small and easy to swallow for your ducks.
Can You Feed Your Ducklings with the Regular Tomatoes?
You might be a bit wary of the food you provide your ducklings. The food you usually offer your ducks will also be good for your ducklings. Regarding tomatoes, however, it will be best to feed your ducklings with cherry tomatoes instead of the regular ones.
Ducklings have smaller nutritional needs than ducks, and they got smaller bills. So, it will be best to stick to cherry tomatoes to ensure they won’t choke while eating tomatoes.
Can duck Eat those Tomato Stems, Leaves, and Vines?
As mentioned above, there is no way you should let your ducks eat those tomato stems, leaves, and vines, for these parts contain solanine and tomatine, which are harmful to ducks. If they ingest any of these parts, it might be fatal to your ducks. You should immediately call your veterinarian if your ducks have swallowed these parts and exhibit the symptoms concomitant with the ingestion of these toxins.
Aside from solanine, these parts also carry tomatine, which is also toxic to your ducks. This substance is concentrated in the leaves and stems. This substance can cause gastrointestinal issues and damage other internal organs if ingested in large doses.
As a caveat, it will be best to ensure you remove the stems, leaves, and vine when feeding your ducks with tomatoes.
Humans have different and sophisticated digestive systems. Humans can get away with a small dose of these substances. But ducks might
experience harsher effects when ingesting tomatine. So, it will be best not to feed your ducks with these green parts of the tomato plant.
If your ducks are free-ranging, you might as well not let them get near those tomato plants, for they might accidentally nibble on them. You may say, however, that tomato leaves have a pungent smell and prickly hairs, which can deter ducks from eating those leaves.
Yet, ducklings might still manage to take a bite on those tomato vines, leading to accidental ingestion of these toxins. For this reason, precluding your ducks and ducklings from foraging near your tomato garden will be best.
Is It Okay to Feed Your Ducks Frozen Tomatoes?
You might happen to take out of the fridge several tomatoes and think about feeding them quickly to your ducks. It will be best to relent because it would not be best to feed your ducks with frozen tomatoes. You can defrost tomatoes before you serve them to your ducks, for frozen tomatoes can be a choking hazard.
As such, you should not dare feed your ducks those frozen tomatoes. Besides, ducks would need more energy to digest frozen tomatoes, which is contrary to why you provide them food. Remember that you feed your ducks because you want them to have energy and not lose it.
Is It Okay to Feed Your Ducks with Moldy Tomatoes?
It will be best not to feed your ducks with moldy tomatoes or anything with mold. Molds are toxic. Hence any tomato with mold should be thrown away. Don’t cut the moldy part. Just throw them away to ensure your ducks are safe.
How Many Tomatoes Should You Feed Your Ducks?
Anything that is too much can be bad for your ducks. So, it will be best to give tomatoes in moderation. Tomatoes can provide your ducks with fiber, beta-carotene, phosphorus, calcium, vitamins A and C, and folic acids. However, tomatoes also have a high level of sugar.
So, it will be best to provide your ducks with a moderate amount of tomatoes. You should also only offer your ducklings a small piece of tomato. On the other hand, a slice of tomato will be enough for your adult ducks.
How Often Should You Feed Tomatoes to Your Ducks?
You can feed your ducks with tomatoes twice or thrice weekly to ensure a balanced diet. During the summer months, you can provide them with tomatoes once every two days to keep them adequately hydrated. Nevertheless, refrain from giving them too many tomatoes. Too much can cause diarrhea and indigestion because tomatoes contain high water levels.
Conclusion
Feeding your ducks tomatoes can be a sure way of keeping your ducks in top-notch condition because of the excellent nutritional contents of tomatoes. Besides, if your ducks are fond of tomatoes, they would surely enjoy eating those colorful tomatoes. Nevertheless, you should feed them in moderation to ensure they only get the right amount of nutrients from tomatoes.
It will be best if you never feed your ducks with any parts of the tomato plants, save for the ripe tomato fruits, for the other parts will be detrimental to their health and well-being. Moreover, if your ducks are free-ranging, don’t let them hang around those tomato gardens, for they might accidentally eat the stems, vines, and leaves of tomato plants. Such an occurrence can compromise the safety and health of your ducks.
