More often than, we all have lots of packets of dried spaghetti sat in our food cupboards for long periods and sometimes, unfortunately, it can go out of date. Not sure what to do with it?
Instead of throwing it out and wasting it, you want to know, can ducks eat spaghetti, right?
The simple answer is yes, ducks and ducklings can eat spaghetti but before you feed your ducks, read how to prepare it first and the benefits of feeding spaghetti to ducks too…
How To Prepare Spaghetti For Ducks to Eat
When feeding spaghetti to your ducks it is always recommended that you cook it in the normal way as you would for human consumption.
How to Feed Spaghetti to Ducks
If you still have the packet, then just refer to the back of it where cooking instructions should still be clear enough for you to follow. If not then refer to my instructions below.
To cook spaghetti for your ducks you need it to be the same consistency as it would be as if you were eating it. As a basic guide, I recommend cooking the spaghetti for 10-12 minutes.
Personally, I would test just how soft the spaghetti is by moving it around the pan whilst cooking it, you should be able to tell when it is fully cooked as it’ll be really soft.
Strain the cooked spaghetti in a cullender or sieve to remove the hot water and allow the spaghetti to rest and cool for up to 5 minutes to ensure it is ready to serve.
To serve the spaghetti ready for your ducks to eat you will need to finely chop the spaghetti into small pieces to help prevent your ducks from choking on the long strands.
If you’re introducing spaghetti to your duck’s diet for the first time then it’s a good idea to mix in a few favourite vegetables that they like, maybe some of the following;
- Finely chopped beets
- Tomatoes
- Chopped broccoli (Cooked or Raw)
- Sweetcorn
- Mushrooms
- Bell Peppers
- Peas
Mixing any of these foods will help your ducks eat spaghetti for the first time but to be honest I’d expect your ducks to take to the spaghetti by itself anyway.
Please ensure that you DO NOT add any flavourings or sauces to the spaghetti when feeding it to your ducks
How to Feed Spaghetti to Ducklings
With your ducklings, you basically need to follow the same path as above by ensuring that your spaghetti is fully cooked, soft to the touch and flexible.
Make sure the spaghetti has fully cooled and then chopped it finely into very small pieces that will be easy for your ducklings to swallow.
Space out the spaghetti in the feeding area to ensure your youngsters don’t eat it too quickly which could cause choking in a young duck.
Provide a water source for drinking nearby or submerge the chopped up spaghetti in a feeding bowl with water in it to help them swallow it. Get ready for the mess!!!
Do not feed your ducklings spaghetti too often because it is a carbohydrate and the overfeeding of this food source can cause your duck to get fat and unhealthy.
Is Spaghetti Good For Ducks?
The overfeeding of ducks any type of food is not good because they need a balanced diet. Feeding your ducks too much spaghetti can cause rapid weight gain.
However, an occasional treat for ducks or ducklings of spaghetti can be a pleasurable experience, both as a duck but also a happy owner seeing your duck ravishing their meal.
Nutritional benefits of spaghetti for ducks
Spaghetti contains just a few nutritional benefits and if they’re served in a bowl of water they can also increase the water consumption of your bird.
List of nutritional content
- Carbohydrates
- Fat
- Fibre
- Protein
Carbohydrates will help keep your bird’s energy levels up as the carbohydrates turn to glucose to provide your duck extra energy when it needs it.
The fat content of spaghetti is very low at 0.5g per 100 grams but it can help to regulate energy levels and together with carbs, fibre and protein they can all help with laying ducks.