What weeds can ducks eat?

[Daisy]

Can ducks eat marshmallow root? I have a lot of it come up each year and usually rip it out when it is young (around now). But I am wondering if I can boil it to soften it and feed it to the ducks along with pellets to extend the bag of pellets and use the weeds? The parent ducks used to eat the long grass and other weeds but the (almost grown) babies are not following their lead. If I made a meal out what I rip up, mixed with pellets or seeds, would it be more palatable for them or just a waste of time? I tried reducing their daily pellets so they would "hunt" but they just sleep at the gate and quack at me every time I go out the back door.

 

[flowerbug]

sounds like they've been trained to eat what you give them and not to forage. it might be a tough time for them if they don't learn soon and you run out of pellets. do they need help finding food? like maybe you have to take them someplace and stir up some bugs for them to get the hint? i dunno. i've never kept ducks or chickens or any bird for that matter.

 

[Daisy]

Yeah, they're bloody lazy. Mum and dad still eat grass and bugs and snails, making encouraging noises while they do it. I throw snails in their direction but mother duck gets to them first. They seem to eat the grass down to dirt in their paddock but when I put them around the back, they don't recognise it as food with it being so much longer. When they were littler they had a go at every bush but now they just cry at me. Silly duffers.

They seem to learn after 3 days of routine. I thought it I put the feed out in a trough daily they'll learn that is feed time and to eat what ever I put there. A lot of the marshmallow root grows in places they are not allowed to roam, so I will be ripping it up anyway, just wondering if I can feed it to them instead of it going to waste. They have got much better with eating kitchen scraps but are still not as enthusiastic as their parents are.

I didn't have to feed their parents pellets at all over winter last year, there were enough snails to sustain them, if I run out of pellets it will just force my hand to finally get rid of some! The auction I intended to take the spares to today was cancelled.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

Maybe if they get a little hungrier their instincts will kick in?

 

[Daisy]

Is marshmallow root safe for ducks to eat? I will be ripping it up anyway, so if I can feed it to them then it wont go to waste.

They don't spend very long out the back, I drive them out there in the morning but there is no pond so they go back to their paddock to swim. I might see of I can move a splash pool out the back to entice them to stick around. They cant be out there all day though as it is only 5 metres from my back neighbours front door. I expect complaints if it gets too loud and smelly.

 

[Daisy]

I separated the parents from the babies today. They are VERY fat. So I didn't give pellets today and just chucked a bucket of weeds over the fence to the babies and they ate most of the marshmellow root, raw not cooked. So I am glad they eat it, I just hope its not poison to them haha.

 

[flowerbug]

I separated the parents from the babies today. They are VERY fat. So I didn't give pellets today and just chucked a bucket of weeds over the fence to the babies and they ate most of the marshmellow root, raw not cooked. So I am glad they eat it, I just hope its not poison to them haha.

well, i guess you will find out, it doesn't appear to be toxic from what i've read so far. just be sure to give them other things too.

 

[YourRabbitGirl]

Can ducks eat marshmallow root? I have a lot of it come up each year and usually rip it out when it is young (around now). But I am wondering if I can boil it to soften it and feed it to the ducks along with pellets to extend the bag of pellets and use the weeds? The parent ducks used to eat the long grass and other weeds but the (almost grown) babies are not following their lead. If I made a meal out what I rip up, mixed with pellets or seeds, would it be more palatable for them or just a waste of time? I tried reducing their daily pellets so they would "hunt" but they just sleep at the gate and quack at me every time I go out the back door.

Grass clippings, acorns, and garden weeds from unspoiled areas are good for them — and there's no chance they will overeat the plants. Ducks won't eat wilted or dried vegetables, but floating leaves in the water will both give them something to do and make sure they don't waste their food.