Can ducks have seeds: do they eat sunflower seeds and how to feed them properly
Beginning poultry farmers are concerned about the question: is it possible to use seeds to feed ducks? To answer it, you should understand what the diet of poultry consists of. What elements, minerals does a duck need when growing. And only then proceed to the preparation of nutrient mixtures, give sunflower in its pure form. The benefits of such an approach will be undeniable.
Do ducks eat seeds?
Ducks, both domestic and wild, are happy to eat seeds and grains. But how exactly to give sunflower - whole, crushed, in the husk, opinions differ.Considering that the most common oil, sunflower, is squeezed out of the seeds, introducing them into the diet of a duck will be beneficial.
Even in oilcake, a by-product of oil production, there are quite a lot of useful substances. It is no coincidence that poultry and cattle mashers based on sunflower processing waste are so popular with farmers. The seed contains:
- Magnesium.
- Calcium.
- Zinc.
- Iron.
- Fluorine.
In addition, it contains vitamins A, B, E, D. Such a set for a duck cannot be unhe althy. Even vice versa. Helps birds bred for slaughter to gain weight faster. In addition to sunflower, ducks can be fed pumpkin seeds (also rich in minerals, vitamins), cereals - wheat, corn, oats.
Pros and cons
In its natural habitat, the duck eats everything, not neglecting insects, larvae, plant foods. Therefore, many poultry farmers in the summer specifically try to feed their pets by releasing them to water bodies, ponds, and small backwaters. Also, to create a balanced diet for a duck, it’s good to give cabbage, any greens.
It seems that so many virtues are concentrated in grains and seeds - nutritious, relatively inexpensive, well absorbed. At the same time, there are also disadvantages. Ducks and birds have no teeth. They do not grind food, but digest it whole. The beak serves only to separate plant fragments, chewing stems, leaves.
Primary processing takes place in a false goiter - this is a branch of the esophagus. There begins the swelling of the feed. Enzymes that break down fiber are activated. The partially digested food is then dumped into the stomach. Seeds, grains in a rough shell (for example, oats) split worse.A duck cannot break the husk with its beak, and enzymes cannot break down the hard outer layer.
It turns out that it makes sense to crush, give peeled kernels to help the bird fully absorb the food. Although disputes between farmers do not subside. Someone thinks that the duck is able to digest sunflower normally even in the husk. And someone prefers to cook a mash of crushed seeds, greens, silage.
How to give duck seeds?
Perhaps the most important question for every farmer is exactly how to feed sunflower kernels to a duck. Peeled, crushed, or with a husk. Often the seed is part of the mash, along with bone meal, bran, greens, chopped fish.
There is a reason for this: it turns out a balanced set of minerals, vitamins, food that is readily eaten, quickly digested by a duck.
Proponents of the opposite point of view are sure that the bird digests the unrefined sunflower seed without any problems. As an argument, it is argued that under natural conditions no one shells sunflower ducks, while this option does not harm the digestive system, growth and weight gain.
When should you not feed seeds to birds?
Restriction on feeding with grain or seed is set for young animals under the age of 11 days. He is not yet able to fully eat due to the underdevelopment of the body. Do not feed grain to sick ducks that have obvious digestive problems.
You can not use sunflower as the main component of the diet. It is better to add the seed to other foods, alternate greens and roughage.
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