Duck
Rich, dark poultry. Take off the skin, cook it tender and shred it fine.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Babies can eat duck from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.
How to serve duck by age
6 months+
Tender strips or finely shredded
Braise skinless duck legs until very tender and 165°F (74°C), then pull the meat into finger-length strips along the grain, or shred it finely and stir it into mashed potato or vegetables.
- Size
- Strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), or finely shredded and mixed into mash.
- Check before serving
- Squash a strip between your thumb and finger. It should fall apart into soft shreds. If it's springy or you have to pull hard, cook it longer or shred it.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
9 months+
Small soft shreds
Offer small, moist shreds of duck for pincer-grasp practice, or mix finely chopped duck into rice, pasta or vegetables.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Each shred should squash flat between your thumb and finger. Skip any dry, stringy or chewy bits.
12 months+
Shredded or in family meals
Serve moist, tender duck from family meals, shredded into rice, noodles or soft tortillas. Take your toddler's portion before adding salty sauces, and leave off the skin.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or shredded.
- Check before serving
- It should still pull apart easily with a fork. Cut off tough or chewy bits.
18 months+
Pieces or mixed into dishes
Offer tender duck the way your family eats it: in stews, curries or stir-fries cooked until soft. Keep cutting it small and removing bones and skin; tough meat is still a choking hazard for young children.
- Size
- Bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch).
- Check before serving
- Still check that each piece pulls apart easily with a fork.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare duck
- 1
Choose farmed duck from a butcher or shop. Wild duck may have been shot with lead: see the questions below. Pull or cut the skin and the fat layer under it off raw duck legs. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling raw poultry, and keep it away from ready-to-eat food.
- 2
Braise the legs in water or unsalted homemade stock, covered, for about 1½ hours, until very tender and 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. Use a food thermometer: color isn't a reliable sign.
- 3
Let it cool, then remove every bone and any gristle. Pull the meat into finger-length strips along the grain, or shred it finely.
- 4
Do the squash test, and make sure it has cooled down before serving.
How much to offer
Start with a strip or two, or a spoonful of shredded duck mixed into mash. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth. Lots of sucking and chewing with little swallowed is normal at first.
Common mistakes
Leaving the skin and fat on
Duck has a thick layer of fat under the skin. FoodData Central lists about 28 g of fat per 100 g of roast duck with skin, against about 11 g for the meat alone. The CDC advises removing all fat, skin and bones from poultry for babies.
Serving it pink like a restaurant duck breast
Duck is poultry: cook it to 165°F (74°C), checked with a food thermometer. Cooked duck can still look a little pink at a safe temperature, so go by the thermometer, not the color.
Sharing takeaway duck
The NHS lists takeaways among the salty foods to avoid for babies, along with stock cubes and gravy. Cook plain duck at home, or take your baby's portion out before adding sauce or seasoning.
Serving chunks
Tough or large chunks of meat are a choking hazard. Cook duck until very tender and serve finger-length strips that fall apart, or fine shreds.
Questions parents ask
Can duck be a choking hazard for babies?
Tough or large chunks of meat and bones are choking hazards for young children. Cook duck until very tender, remove every bone and the skin, and serve it as finger-length strips that fall apart or as fine shreds. Stay with your baby during meals.
Can babies be allergic to duck?
Duck meat is not one of the common food allergens. Duck eggs are eggs, though, and egg is a common allergen: the ACAAI says people who are allergic to chicken eggs may also be allergic to other eggs, including duck eggs. See our egg page before offering them.
Is duck healthy for babies?
A source of iron, zinc and protein: FoodData Central lists about 2.7 mg of iron and 2.6 mg of zinc per 100 g of roast duck meat without skin, so about 40 g of shredded duck gives about 1 mg of iron. Babies need 11 mg of iron a day from 7 to 12 months, so offer iron-rich foods at several meals. Duck's iron includes heme iron, which the body absorbs more easily than iron from plant foods.
Can babies eat duck?
Yes, from around 6 months, cooked to 165°F (74°C) with the skin, fat and bones removed. Serve it very tender, in strips that fall apart or finely shredded.
Is duck too fatty for babies?
Most of the fat is in and under the skin. Roast duck meat without skin has about 11 g of fat per 100 g in FoodData Central, against about 28 g with the skin, so take the skin off and the meat is fine.
Can babies eat duck liver or duck pâté?
Liver is very rich in vitamin A, so the rules on our liver page apply: cooked all the way through and blended at home, a teaspoon or two at a time, no more than once a week. Don't give duck pâté or foie gras, homemade or shop-bought: UK early years guidance says children under 5 shouldn't have fresh pâté, to reduce the risk of food poisoning, and processed pâté can contain added salt.
Can babies eat duck eggs?
Yes, from around 6 months, but they count as eggs. Egg is a common allergen, so offer duck egg the same careful way as hen's egg (see our egg page), and don't give it to a baby with an egg allergy. In the UK and the US alike, cook duck eggs until both the white and the yolk are solid. The NHS advice that babies can have runny eggs applies only to British Lion hens' eggs, not duck eggs.
Is wild duck safe for babies?
Farmed duck is the simpler choice. Wild duck may have been shot with lead. The UK Food Standards Agency lists duck among lead-shot game, advises cutting down particularly on small game, and says this is especially important for toddlers and children, because lead can harm the developing brain and nervous system. Not all game is shot with lead: if you're not sure how a duck was killed, ask your supplier.
If your baby refuses duck
- Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
- Duck has a stronger taste than chicken. Try it shredded into mash, rice or a mild vegetable stew.
- Moisten dry duck with a little of its cooking liquid, breast milk or formula.
- Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing duck
- Keep raw duck in the fridge in a sealed container or bag so juices can't drip, and cook or freeze it within 1 to 2 days.
- Cooked duck keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
- Cooked duck can be frozen for 2 to 3 months. Reheat it only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let it cool before serving.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- USDA FSIS: Duck and goose from farm to table
- ACAAI: Egg allergy
- UK Department for Education: Food safety in early years settings
- CDC: When, what, and how to introduce solid foods
- CDC: Choking hazards
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- NHS: Vitamin A
- USDA FoodData Central: Duck, domesticated, meat only, cooked, roasted
- USDA FoodData Central: Duck, domesticated, meat and skin, cooked, roasted
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
- Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
- NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food
- NHS: Help your baby enjoy new foods
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
- Food Standards Agency: Lead-shot game
More first foods
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