Ducks are fun, entertaining, and interactive creatures. Like most animals, they benefit a lot from participating in stimulating activities. It keeps their mind active and their energy levels high. Anyone who’s spent a decent amount of time around ducks should know this very well.
These adorable birds particularly enjoy water games like swimming and splashing around. However, they’re also just as keen on games played on land.
It turns out, ducks really aren’t that picky when it comes to games. The most important thing is that they have fun. Still, there are a few key favorites these feathery creatures will especially appreciate. So, if you are wondering what ducks like to play with, I’ve rounded up the top ten fun toys your duck will love.
As a duck owner myself, I know what will keep your quacking companions content for hours.
Do Ducks Really Need Toys?
If you’re new to caring for ducks, you might not know how to best entertain your new feathery friends. Obviously, the single most important way to entertain your duck is by showering him with love and affection. Ducks are lovable creatures that need a lot of attention to thrive. Making an effort to speak to them, pet them, and cuddle them at least twice a day is the singest best thing you can do for your ducks.
Ducks also need stimulation, which they get through play. While ducks don’t necessarily need toys, they can keep your ducks happy, entertained, and cut their chances of getting bullied by other members of the flock.
When you wish to entertain your ducks, I recommend giving them toys that they can play with. Believe me, ducks adore toys. They’re super playful birds that need sufficient activity to keep them happy and healthy.
Thankfully, there are many different types of toys to help keep your duck entertained. Here, I show you the top 10 duck toys your ducks will love!
Best Duck Toys for Ducks
1.Chew Toys
Ducks love nibbling. When they get the chance, they will nibble almost anything they get hold of. If you’ve spent much time with your ducks, you must have noticed how much they chew. They’re not much different from dogs in that way. There’s not really a reason for it. It seems they just do it for fun. The best way to satisfy this urge is to give your ducks chew toys to play with.
Dog chews are a good example of what you can use to entertain your ducks with. You can also try rubber bones or knotted ropes — anything they can chew but not swallow or choke on.
You really don’t have to buy anything fancy. However, I do recommend trying out dog chew toys as there are so many on the market, and they’re typically a good size for ducks. If the adult sized dog chew toys are too big, you can always pick puppy teething toys as these are a lot smaller and perhaps more suitable for your ducks.
Many duck owners give their ducks knotted rope chew toys and rubber bones, both of which work well for entertaining your feathery friends.
As long as you make sure your ducks won’t be able to swallow or choke on any of the toys, and that it won’t easily break apart, giving your ducks chewing toys is a great way to keep them stimulated and happy.
Try Nylabone Puppy Chew Toy to keep your duck busy. This flexible chew toy is designed for puppies up to 25 pounds. It’s the perfect toy to cater to your ducks’ chewing needs.
2. Kiddie Pool
Ducks love swimming more than anything. In fact, they simply love water as a whole — always up for the opportunity to splash around and have fun. Your duck will have hours of fun swimming and splashing around in a cute little kiddie pool. Simply fill it up with water, toys, and tasty snacks, and your duck will have the time of his life.
Some duck owners throw frozen peas into the water as a little treat. This gives ducks the opportunity to dive for their food, which only piles on the fun! Be sure to add a drain to the bottom of the pool, if possible — it’ll make cleaning up way easier!
Giving ducks a pool doesn’t just provide entertainment. It’s also a great way for your ducks to get some exercise. Best of all, kiddie pools are inexpensive. They really are the best investment for the wellbeing of your ducks.
To keep things as sanitary as possible in-between splashing sessions, be sure to drain the pool and clean it out regularly. And a quick word of warning: be very careful if you’re raising ducklings, as they might sink or get too cold in the water. After all, they don’t have the same feathers as adult ducks, making them vulnerable to the cold.
Try FrontPet Foldable Dog Pool. It’s light, portable, easy to set up and use, and available in three sizes: 32in x 8in, 50in x 12in, and 60in x 12in. Constructed with extra strong PVC material, this dog pool is scratch and wear resistant. It also comes with a drain plug to make draining, cleaning, and takedown a breeze.
3. Bells
Ducks are fascinated by the jingling noise bells make. They could spend hours trying to figure out where the noise is coming from. So if you’re looking for a cost-effective toy to keep your duck entertained for hours, make it the humble bell.
You can hang them in their path so that they can run around and nudge them. Trust me, it’s extremely entertaining to watch, too. So go grab a lemonade, sit somewhere comfortable, and spectate as they jostle the bells back and forth with their bills. You can expect their curiosity to last hours at a time.
Try Bonka Bird Toys Ring a Ding Toy. Made from four colorful plastic rings connected via strong metal rings, this 945 Four Ring a Ding is 100% bird safe and ideal for small beaked birds.
4. Mirrors
Another great way to entertain your ducks is by hanging a few mirrors in their pen. Mirrors are an excellent means of distraction for ducks, making them especially handy for lone ducks. If you are raising a lone duck, you might want to consider adding in a mirror or two so that he feels less alone. They can also be used to cheer up a single bird after a loss of his flock mate.
Make sure the mirrors have no jagged edges, and avoid placing them anywhere they can easily shatter.
Some duck owners recommend stringing up a few pocket mirrors to create a shiny feature with which to entertain your little quacking friends.
5. Treat Balls
Ducks love treat balls more than anything. That’s because they adore getting treats. Treat balls are basically balls that have holes in them and are stuffed with yummies like lettuce, grapes, or bananas. Your duck will have to figure out how to extract the treats from the ball — and they get a lot of joy doing it!
The good news is, it’s not that difficult to get treats into the ball. However, it is easiest to use foods that easily fold up and go in. Whatever you choose to put in, make sure it’s appropriate for your duck. You don’t want them eating anything that could make them sick.
You’ll be happy to hear that these treat balls come pretty cheap. You can easily obtain them without having to pay big bucks. They are also easy to clean — it’ll only take a few seconds!
Try Tortoise Treat Ball to treat your duck to hours of yummy fun!
6. Swings
If you’re wondering what do ducks like to play with, I recommend bringing in a swing. It may sound unusual, but ducks really dig swings. It turns out, they’re not just popular with chickens. Ducks get just as much enjoyment from swings! And the best part is, they’re really easy to make and very affordable. Not much of a handyman? Chill. You can also buy a small swing meant for pets if you don’t fancy getting your hands dirty.
It’s a lot of fun being able to watch your ducks having fun on their little swings. Plus, you can make things even more exciting by placing the swing in your kiddie pool so your ducks can enjoy the water while swinging. They’ll be doing two things they love at once!
7.Rubber Ducks
It might sound funny getting your duck a toy that looks like a duck, but it’s a surprisingly good idea. After all, ducks love brightly colored items. With their bright color, squeaky sounds, and smooth texture, rubber ducks sharpen a duck’s senses and develop muscle strength and coordination.
If you’ve got him a kiddie pool or any type of water area, place the rubber ducks in there. Watching the rubber ducks float is a great way to keep your real life ducks happy and entertained.
Try AHUA Bath Duck Toys Rubber Duck Family.
8. Colorful Cups of Water
Another effective way to amuse your ducks is by partially filling several colored cups with water. Look for plastic cups in brightly colored shades to interest and entertain your curious quacking friends. You can also add a little snack to the water, like grapes or peas, to make things even more fun. Place them close to your ducks so they can start playing!
It may sound kind of basic, but they’ll love it! Ducks don’t need anything super fancy to have fun. Give them water, give them color, give them treats — they’ll be the happiest ducks alive.
You can find these cups at your local baby store or supermarket. Just make sure they’re not too small, as you don’t want your duck consuming or choking on them. They should be large enough for them not to want to eat them — or, of course, accidentally swallow them.
9. Stuffed Animals
Some ducks enjoy playing with plush animals (or stuffed toys), especially those introduced to them when they’re young. Ducks are super loving animals that thrive on TLC! They’ll absolutely cherish getting to cuddle with brightly colored plush toys. Lone ducks will also enjoy the company of a stuffed animal, so it’s definitely worth getting one if you’re raising single ducks.
Try AIXINI 11.8 Inch Plush Duck. It’s made of super soft elastic fabric and is completely non-toxic and odorless. Thanks to its high-density stuffing, this plushie will maintain its squeezability and structure. In other words, it’s very safe for your duck to play with and chew on. He’ll get so much enjoyment playing with his new plush duck friend.
10. Standard Bird Toys
You can also, of course, simply get your ducks standard bird today which you’ll easily find in your local pet store or supermarket. Bird todays are pretty appealing to ducks, and come in sizes perfectly suitable for this type of bird. Do not select any toy with tiny pieces that your duck may be able to digest or choke on. It’s best to purchase toys that are meant for larger birds.
Strong several bird toys up in your duck’s pen area to give them something to play with and keep them entertained.
Whether you have one duck or several, it’s fine to put toys in a duck pen, regardless of the number of birds. Bird toys are always a good option if you’re lost for ideas on what your ducks can play with.
Try KATUMO Bird Toy Set, featuring an assortment of colorful toys: Bamboo Square & Wooden Blocks, Bamboo Finger Trap & Shred Papers, Woven Vine Star & Loofah Slice, Acrylic Plastic Chew toy and Bamboo Finger Trap & Woven Vine Star. All these products are made of natural wood, non-toxic ABS materials and dyed with edible pigments. They are 100% safe for birds.
