Yes. The standard recommendation for ensuring that any wild game is safely cooked is to cook all types of meat thoroughly to at least 70-75 degrees Celsius (155-165 degrees Fahrenheit) to kill disease organisms, parasites and viruses such as avian flu. It's not uncommon to see dead ducks or geese while in the field. Do not assume that any form of bird flu killed the ducks or geese, because these birds can die from many other causes.

Answer: No, waterfowl are no different from any other bird in that regard. Medicated feed can be fed, but is generally not recommended unless your flock has a chronic (repeated) problem that you need to combat. The danger in feeding medicated feed when no specific medical problem exists is that you may be not only wasting money, but you may be encouraging the development of strains of bacteria resistant to that particular medication. When you really need it, it may no longer be effective. See similar questions...

Resist the urge to feed ducks or any water fowl. "People" food is far less nutritious to a duck than its normal diet. Handouts may cause ducks to become tame and more exposed to natural predators. Migration could be delayed. Ducks are perfectly capable of finding food, unless they have become overly dependent on human handouts. Duck feeding causes problems for people, too. Duck waste may contain bacteria and parasites that are unhealthy for humans. See similar questions...

Some people think that feeding "people food" to pets will give them diarrhea and turn them into beggars at dinnertime. Depending on what you feed them and where, loose stools and begging can be avoided. Here are some simple guidelines to follow. First, when we say it’s o.k. to feed “people food”, we are not talking about potato chips, chocolate cake, and onion rings – these thing are sure to give your pet a tummy ache. See similar questions...

Yes, however there are two drawbacks to feeding these. First, the weight bearing bones are naturally harder, which precludes them for smaller dogs, and Second, these do not contain the proper calcium:meat ratio (much more meat than bone). We will feed these periodically when we're traveling, but would not consider making them a staple of our dogs' diets. See similar questions...

Laboratory pellets or lab blocks, as they are referred to, should be considered to be your rat's basic diet. These blocks are nutritionally balanced for rats and mice and are used exclusively by many laboratories and breeders as the animals' entire diet. Lab blocks have been formulated to meet a rat's nutritional needs and recommended brands are Teklad, Hagen, and Kaytee blocks. Rat and Mouse grain mix is available in most pet stores, but should only be fed as a treat a couple times a week. See similar questions...

Yes, it's never too late to begin and never early enough to start. I personally began feeding my own cat when he was 15? and he only got remarkably healthier and stronger. He loved the food as well and immediately took to it. This was a cat who ate commercial pet food all his life until I began making his food. See similar questions...

Rice probably has no nutritional value for song birds and the rice grains aren't a big bird food favorite. It is unlikely that they will eat it, but the best test is to try a little and watch the birds' reaction. Probably the reason churches, synagogues or city halls suggest NOT throwing rice after a wedding ceremony is that since the birds don't eat it, the clean up is tedious. The rice merely accumulates in the grass and between sidewalk cracks. See similar questions...

No. It is not a good idea to feed deer. Feeding deer makes them vulnerable to predation and vehicle collisions, among other things. Fed deer tend to travel more in the winter going between feeding sites and exhaust their fat stores. Unfed deer tend to travel less, stay in natural winter deer yards, and conserve their resources to survive the winter -- the natural survival strategies that have served them for eons. See similar questions...

The strain of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) that has circulated in Asia, Africa, and Europe has not yet been identified in the United States, so the risk that ducks or geese in your local park are infected is currently very low. See similar questions...

You have to have a pond. You must have less than 6 chickens. The event happens on a non-rainy day after the Summer of the 2nd year. If you already have a duck, you won't get them any more. The weather forecast by the guy with a straw hat is much more accurate than the other guy. Keep tuning in to find his forecast. See similar questions...

Chicken pox has a fancier medical name called varicella zoster. It is a virus which infects the body causing the typical illness. To understand why it is called "chicken pox" see "Why is it called Chicken Pox?". See similar questions...

Almost never. Except for children and adults who have immune system problems, getting chicken pox confers life-long immunity. Now, the minute I say never, someone will come up with a story about how he or one of his family got it twice. While this is a possibility, it is extremely rare. Most of the time, these stories turn out that the original chicken pox "infection" was a rash that was mistaken for chicken pox. See similar questions...

Yes. But remember to freeze poultry soon after shopping, if possible within half an hour. Check out our storage tips on the storage page in our "Safe Food Handling" section. See similar questions...

Veterinarians generally do not recommend feeding milk to our feline friends. A cat's digestive system does not digest milk well. Feeding milk to your cat can cause diarrhea, which can lead to further nutritional problems (your cat won't be able to absorb nutrients from his food). See similar questions...

Though grains are used as a cheap filler in commercial pet foods, it isn't because they are good for your pets...it's to make more profit, usually at the expense of your pet's health. Grains are not a natural food for dogs. It is not something they would eat in the wild. Those grains they would have access to would be in small quantities eaten from the stomachs of prey animals that had (in the right season) eaten some grasses that had seeded. See similar questions...

We agree with veterinarians who strongly believe that feeding pets table scraps or "people" food can lead to excesses or deficiencies of nutrients in your pet's diet which over time may result in health problems. Therefore, we do not recommend feeding any food other than Science Diet® or Prescription Diet® food, unless your veterinarian recommends otherwise. See similar questions...

Often the best answers come from the birds themselves. If the birds don't like what you're feeding, they won't eat it. Try the popcorn kernels, but put them up on a platform or hopper-style feeder so you are less likely to attract unwanted visitors such as rodents. See similar questions...

Leopard geckos can be fed a staple diet of crickets and/or mealworms, and many other insects to supplement them. There is rumor that mealworms can't be fed as a staple, or that they can hurt your geckos, but they are unfounded. I've not received any scientific information on the nutrition of all insects, but many people feed super worms, roaches, grasshoppers, hissing cockroaches and wax worms in addition to the above. See similar questions...