The fungicidal toxin Persin in the avocado is harmful to ducks. It would be best if you prevented your ducks from eating an avocado.
Ducks should not eat avocado fruit, seeds, and skin. Even the bark of the avocado tree can hurt your ducks.
Read more to discover what can happen if your ducks eat avocado. If you notice your ducks are feeling bad, get them to the vet.
Best Alternatives
Avocado is full of fat – in 3.5oz (100gr) of raw avocado, there is 14.6% fat, only 2% protein, and a small amount of calcium, sodium, and vitamin A.
However, there are some significant amounts of:
- Vitamin B6 (0.257 mg)
- Riboflavin/vitamin B2 (0.13 mg)
- Folate (vitamin B9) (81 mcg)
- Vitamin K (21 mcg)
- Potassium (485 mg)
Ducks need all these minerals and vitamins, but ducks can’t eat avocados.
Here, I want to show you what can be a safe alternative to giving toxic avocados to ducks.
For example:
- Your ducks can get more vitamin B6 from bananas (0.37mg compared to 0.26 mg in avocado)
- More vitamin K ducks can get from kiwi (37mcg compared to 0.21 mcg in avocado)
- More riboflavin ducks can get from asparagus (0.14mg compared to 0.13 mg in avocado)
- In peas, there is less but also a nice amount of folate (65mcg compared to 81mcg in avocados)
- More potassium is in spinach, but you need to be careful when feeding ducks spinach (558 mg compared to 485 mg in avocado)
| Avocado | Alternative | |
|---|---|---|
| Vitamin B6 | 0.26 mg | Bananas (0.37mg) |
| Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) | 0.13 mg | Asparagus (0.14mg) |
| Vitamin B9 (Folate) | 81 mcg | Peas (65mcg) |
| Vitamin K | 21 mcg | Kiwi (37mcg) |
| Potassium | 485 mg | Spinach* (558 mg) |
Health Concerns Of Avocado for Ducks
If your duck eats some avocado, you will notice difficulty breathing and possible vomiting and diarrhea.
Fungicidal toxin Persin from avocado will cause:
- myocardial tissue damage
- weakness
- liver damage
High doses cause death 12 to 24 hours after consumption.
Even though this toxin is considered harmless to humans, animals (especially birds like ducks) are not responding well to this.
Why Ducks Can Not Eat Avocado
It can end badly when domestic animals like ducks consume leaves, bark, skins, seeds, and avocado fruit meat.
The thing is, Persin is toxic and dangerous for ducks, and if consumed too much, ducks can become pretty sick and even die.
Persin is so strong that it can cause heart damage in dogs, cats, and even horses.
However, birds are sensitive to this toxin from avocado fruit.
If your ducks eat one small bite, it will be okay. But the main goal is always prevention.
Conclusion
Feeding ducks avocado fruit is dangerous.
Toxin Persin is present in avocado fruit, seeds, and skin. And you should prevent your ducks from eating this fruit at all costs.
Fortunately, there are lots of other fruit and vegetables you can give your ducks as a snack (only in moderation).
As mentioned above, bananas, asparagus, and peas can also provide all the minerals and vitamins your ducks need to perform at their maximum genetic potential.