Crickets are a staple diet for a lot of pet reptiles. This insect is not only tasty for them but has a lot of nutrition that they need. As for ducks, can they eat crickets too?
Can ducks eat crickets? Yes, crickets are safe for ducks to eat. This insect is packed with nutrition that the ducks need. You can let them roam freely and forage for crickets or buy them from the store.
Is It Safe For Ducks To Eat Crickets?
Crickets themselves are safe for the ducks to eat. This insect doesn’t contain any toxins that could be harmful to the ducks.
However, if the ducks are allowed to roam freely in the yard and field, it may not be safe for them if you use chemicals to treat the yard or garden. Chemicals such as fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides are commonly used to treat the yard and garden. These chemicals are harmful to the ducks.
As the crickets move around, the chemicals may stick to them. Also, the crickets could feed on plants that have chemicals which will be in their body.
When the ducks eat crickets that are contaminated with chemicals, they too will get chemicals into their body. This could make the duck very sick and if it’s in large amount, death can occur.
Health Benefits of Crickets for Ducks
Cricket is an insect that is high in nutrition, particularly protein. This insect has about 65% protein by weight, which makes them very important to the duck’s health.
In addition to protein, crickets naturally contain all the essential amino acids, Omega-3s, Omega-6, vitamin B12, and fiber.
For ducks that are laying eggs, feeding the cricket will make the eggs a better quality. This means the eggs will be bigger and tastier.
Also, the hen will be stronger and healthier when they are fed plenty of protein.
Another health benefits are a healthier digestive system. This is particularly due to the fiber that’s in cricket.
Fiber helps promote regular bowel movement and prevent constipation. This will help foods that the ducks eat to move through the digestive tract smoothly.
Can Duckling Eat Crickets?
No, ducklings should not be fed any crickets. Once they are at least 4 weeks old, you can start to introduce them to crickets.
Under the age of 4 weeks, the ducklings are too small, and it could cause them to choke on the cricket or cause crop impaction. For these reasons, you should never try to feed them any crickets.
Once the baby ducks are older than 4 weeks, you can try to introduce them to crickets. Find the smallest one and place it next to the ducklings. At first, they may just play with the crickets, but after a while, they’ll eat it.
How To Feed Crickets To Ducks
Feeding crickets to the ducks is pretty straightforward. Once you have some crickets, simply toss them onto the ground and the ducks will chase and gobble them up.
Some people feel it’s better to break the cricket’s leg off, so they can’t escape. As for ducks, these birds have long necks and agility which makes them quick to catch insects of any kind, including crickets.
How Much Cricket Can A Duck Eat?
If the ducks are allowed to roam freely, you can let them eat as much as they can catch. Crickets will not be found often as they are always hiding. For that reason, the ducks won’t be able to catch enough crickets that could harm them.
On the other hand, if you’re catching or buying crickets to feed the ducks, they should be given the insect in small quantities.
For ducklings, when they are under 4 weeks old, no crickets of any size should be fed to them. Once they are 4 weeks old or more, you can start to feed them crickets. Give them the smallest size cricket available.
Most of the time, the ducklings will just play with the crickets a few times first before deciding to eat them.
How Often Can Have A Duck Eat Crickets?
Ducks are high in protein, so you shouldn’t feed them too much of it. Too much protein could cause the ducks to have angel wings. This is a condition where the tip of the wing twist and stick out. Once the duck has angel wings, it isn’t irreversible. For domestic ducks, it doesn’t affect them since they aren’t able to fly. But for wild ducks, this is a serious condition since they are not able to flap their wings.
Therefore, to prevent them from having angel wings, feed them crickets in moderation. This means feeding them crickets once or twice per week. This is especially true if you’re feeding them other foods that are high in protein too.
If you’re letting the ducks roam freely, you can let them eat as much as they want. Crickets are always hiding and the ducks won’t be able to find and eat enough where it will harm them.
Other Insects That Ducks Can Eat
Grasshoppers
Grasshopper makes a tasty treat for ducks. This insect is packed with protein and other nutrition. In the wild, ducks will chase and catch any grasshoppers they can find. If you allow the ducks to roam freely, more than likely they’ll catch grasshoppers to eat.
Beetles
Beetles are among one of the duck’s favorite food. These insects are found in backyards and anywhere there are plants. Most beetles that are found in the United States are safe for ducks to eat. There are only two types of beetles that are safe for the ducks which are lady beetles (ladybugs) and Blister beetles. These two beetles secrete poisonous substances to make them uneatable. Ducks will usually stay away from these beetles if they find them.
Spiders
Ducks will eat spiders whenever they can find some. Spiders are found all over the place and even in the ground. As ducks are foraging for food, they’ll gobble up the spider when they find some.
Conclusion
Cricket is an insect that’s packed with protein and other nutrition that’s healthy for the ducks. This insect is safe for the bird to eat, but you’ll need to make sure that the yard and garden aren’t treated with chemicals. Otherwise, the ducks could get sick from eating the crickets that are containment with chemicals.
