Are there ducks in your local pond? Then you’ve probably been tempted to feed them some goodies.
So, can you feed them something as inexpensive, readily available, and delicious as popcorn?
The short answer is: no, you shouldn’t feed ducks popcorn. This food contains many substances that can make them sick – maybe even dangerously so.
Read on to find out why popcorn is bad for ducks!
8 Reasons Why Popcorn Is Bad for Ducks
Popcorn is bad for ducks for the following reasons:
1. It’s rich in salt, sugar, butter, oil, and chemicals
Most commercial popcorn contains a gamut of ingredients that are bad for ducks. For instance, many varieties have a ton of salt, which can kill a duck if eaten in excess.
Commercial popcorn is also oily, sugary, and buttery, making it fattening. A duck that eats such popcorn regularly is at risk of growing obese. Obesity, in turn, is associated with serious chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which can harm a duck’s quality of life and even shorten its life expectancy.
Oils and fats can also cause ducks to shed and lose their feathers rapidly. As ducks depend on their feathers to survive, this can grow into a dangerous problem for them.
Then you have preservatives, artificial colors, and all sorts of other chemicals that can cause allergic reactions in ducks.
2. It can cause deformity
As a whole grain, popcorn is high in carbohydrates. Here’s the problem: regularly feeding ducks foods loaded with carbohydrates but lacking in other essential nutrients can lead to a wing deformity called angel wing.
Angel wing causes the awkward development of a duck’s wrist, leaving its wings unable to assume a natural position at its sides. This adversely affects its flying ability and the growth of crucial flight feathers so that they resemble sticks instead feathers.
Damage in adult birds can’t be reversed. And because it interferes with a duck’s flight, it’ll be extra difficult for it to fly to sources of food and be accepted by its flock – both of which can eventually kill the individual.
3. It can cause digestive problems
Popcorn isn’t part of the natural diet of ducks, so if they eat it, it means they’re eating something their digestive system isn’t used to. If consuming something strange can cause humans stomach problems, it can do the same to ducks.
The consumption of junk food can also cause gastrointestinal gases to build up to cause painful bloating as well as lethargy and sluggishness, which can make it hard for ducks to escape predators.
Also, remember that commercial popcorn is chockfull of seasonings that aren’t good for ducks. These can cause these birds various concerns, among them digestive issues such as diarrhea, vomiting, and stomach aches.
4. It’s a choking hazard
Anyone who’s enjoyed popcorn knows that kernels tend to get stuck in the back of the throat. This can cause irritation and mild choking.
The consequences can be much worse for ducks. These animals have long, thin, and sensitive necks – not to mention they tend to eat food hastily. These are all factors that increase the risk of kernels getting lodged in their throat to cause these birds discomfort and, in the worst of cases, a long, painful death by choking.
In addition, a kernel blocking the throat can also make the duck’s quack louder than normal.
5. It’s hard to excrete
Because ducks have trouble digesting popcorn, they may experience difficulty excreting it. Ingesting this food can therefore result in constipation and/or impaction.
The sharp kernels, on the other hand, can lead to anal bruising. In addition, because ducks can’t digest kernels well, these kernels tend to stay in their stomach and rot, which, as you can imagine, can cause everything from stomach upsets to vomiting and diarrhea. In the most unfortunate of cases, a duck will have to undergo surgery to remove these kernels; without this kind of intervention, the duck can suffer and perish.
6. It lacks nutritional value
Most of the popcorn we humans eat is junk food, and junk food, as we all know, isn’t nutritionally impressive. So when a duck eats popcorn, it’s not obtaining any of the nutrients it needs to stay healthy. And if popcorn becomes a regular part of that duck’s diet, it’ll end up suffering from malnutrition and all the health problems associated with it.
The malnutrition caused by eating popcorn often can be particularly worrisome where young, growing ducks are concerned. Ducklings need the appropriate nutrients to develop strong bones, a healthy immune system, and other things necessary for proper, healthy growth. Ducklings fed a diet of popcorn can therefore become sickly and weak as well as suffer from stunted growth.
7. It can cause fullness and malnutrition
Because popcorn is rich in carbohydrates, eating it can make you feel full. Well, it’s the same for ducks.
If a duck consumes a bunch of popcorn, it’ll lose appetite for foods that it can actually gain nutritional benefits from, such as pond algae. In other words, frequently feeding ducks popcorn can make them malnourished as they’re not getting enough of the nutrients they require to stay in good health.
8. If uneaten, it can attract insects and make a pond dirty
If ducks leave popcorn uneaten, it can go bad and lure insects and other critters to the pond. Some of these animals may then harm the ducks by attacking them, infecting them with diseases, or competing against them for food.
Additionally, the popcorn can rot and accumulate mold, which is toxic to ducks. Ingesting this mold can cause serious health issues and even death. Worse, this mold can infect the entire pond to hurt not only the ducks but also all the animals that call it home.
Other Foods Not to Feed Ducks
Below is a list of some other foods you should never feed ducks.
Salty foods
Foods high in salt, such as peanuts, potato chips, trail mix, and the like, are exceptionally bad for ducks. Salt overdose can even kill ducks.
Citrus fruits
You should never feed ducks citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruit. They’re extremely acidic and can interfere with a duck’s calcium absorption, resulting in thin-shelled eggs or the inability to lay eggs.
Additionally, eating citrus fruits can lead to stomach pain and acid reflux in ducks.
Bread
Bread is rich in carbohydrates, so it can make ducks feel full without providing them with the nutrients they need to stay healthy. In other words, frequently feeding ducks bread can make them suffer from malnutrition and associated problems, such as a weaker immune system.
Additionally, ingesting an abundance of this carbohydrate-rich food can result in the aforementioned deformity, angel wing.
Bread also tends to attract vermin, contributing to waterway pollution.
Cookies and biscuits
Like junk food, cookies and biscuits offer no nutritional value to ducks. If a duck eats them often, it can end up malnourished.
And like bread, cookies and biscuits also lure vermin to ponds, which can turn the water filthy.
Onions and garlic
Ducks can’t eat onions, garlic, and any other veggies from the Allium family, as these contain thiosulfate – a compound that can lethally poison them. Ducks also have a tough time digesting thiosulfate, so consuming it in excess can lead to several health concerns.
Spinach
Like citrus fruits, spinach intervenes with a duck’s capacity to absorb calcium, making it a no-no for ducks.
Candies
Sweets, including chocolates and gummies, contain many ingredients that are bad for ducks. Sugar, for example, can cause digestive issues and more troubling long-term effects such as obesity. Artificial sweeteners, on the other hand, can kill these birds.
Junk food
As previously discussed, junk food is chockfull of ingredients (such as salt, sugar, artificial sweeteners, etc.) that can make ducks seriously and maybe even lethally ill. It’s also extremely fattening while low in nutritional content.
Avoid feeding ducks chips, crisps, doughnuts, pretzels, and the like.
Anything moldy
Rotting food can seriously harm ducks thanks to the presence of mold. Never feed ducks any moldy food.
What to Feed Ducks Instead of Popcorn
Whether you have pet ducks or enjoy visiting the ducks at your local pond, it pays to know what foods you can safely feed them. With that in mind, here are some foods ducks can safely eat.
- Apples (sliced with the core and seeds removed)
- Bananas
- Barley
- Beans (cooked)
- Berries
- Birdseed
- Broccoli
- Cheese
- Corn on the cob (cooked and shaved)
- Cucumbers
- Eggs (hard-boiled)
- Grapes (preferably sliced)
- Grass blades
- Grits
- Kale (diced)
- Lettuce (especially romaine; avoid iceberg)
- Oatmeal
- Peas
- Potatoes (cooked)
- Pumpkin
- Rice (cooked)
- Watermelon
- Weeds
- Worms
- Zucchini (diced)
If you have any other questions about what to feed a pet duck, make sure to consult a veterinarian.
Conclusion
Avoid feeding ducks popcorn. This food is high in substances that can make them sick, give them a potentially lethal deformity, and make them experience digestive problems. It’s hard to swallow and excrete. It also lacks nutritional value and can lead to malnutrition if eaten in abundance. Uneaten popcorn can even contribute to bodies of water becoming polluted.
If you’re going to feed your pet ducks or the ducks in a nearby pond, make sure to give them appropriately healthy snacks boasting the nutrients vital to their survival and continued good health.