Feed the Ducks?

Murtle · 5 June 2005 at 11:31AM

Trow wrote:

And I wouldn't feed it to the birds - vegetable oil isn't supposed to be good for them (laxative effects). In the bin it goes.

Thanks Trow, I didn't know that!!

Curry_Queen · 5 June 2005 at 11:34AM

Murtle wrote:

Thanks Trow, I didn't know that!!

Yes! ... a little animal fat is ok, i.e. dripping, bacon fat etc but they wouldn't normally have concentrated vegetable fats in their diet in the wild and it can be quite harmful to them.

As is unsoaked bread (swells in crops) and I hate seeing people feed bread to ducks etc :doh: and also any form of salted nuts as they quickly become dehydrated. That goes for squirrels too!

Edit: ... bread also fills them up without providing any nutrients, which is another reason I hate seeing it used, even if it is soaked first!

Loadsabob · 6 June 2005 at 2:52PM

Curry_Queen wrote:

Yes! ... a little animal fat is ok, i.e. dripping, bacon fat etc but they wouldn't normally have concentrated vegetable fats in their diet in the wild and it can be quite harmful to them.

As is unsoaked bread (swells in crops) and I hate seeing people feed bread to ducks etc :doh: and also any form of salted nuts as they quickly become dehydrated. That goes for squirrels too!

Edit: ... bread also fills them up without providing any nutrients, which is another reason I hate seeing it used, even if it is soaked first!

I was a bit worried reading your post. Want to make sure I'm not causing ducks harm. I feed the local ducks with my homemade wholewheat bread, which also has lots of seeds in, as that has nutritional value. In winter I have been known to spread with butter, for a little insulation, and a little bacon fat. I always read that bread was fine for them if they were near a water source (these are on a small pool). And I crumble it in my hand before throwing to them.

I just checked the RSPB site and they say: "Being very tolerant of man and very adaptable to local conditions, they quickly learn to use new food sources provided by people."

So I hope what I'm doing is okay? I wish people wouldn't feed them factory-made white bread - where's the goodness in that, for man OR ducks?? I saw one man throwing whole slices of that the other day. Nice one, why not throw them some cutlery while you're at it, mate??!

I think your concern for the ducks is excellent, I wish more people would think first!

Curry_Queen · 6 June 2005 at 4:04PM

Loadsabob wrote:

I just checked the RSPB site and they say: "Being very tolerant of man and very adaptable to local conditions, they quickly learn to use new food sources provided by people."

Yes, and once they get used to being fed this "junk food" they stop eating all the healthy foods they need and can find in the wild! And what happens in winter when there's no one around to feed them anymore

I won't comment further on the RSPB as I haven't read this article or the context in which the above statement was made.

I think your concern for the ducks is excellent, I wish more people would think first!

Thank you!!!

My comments yesterday were made in broader terms of feeding birds and other wildlife in general, but as you've brought up the subject specifically about ducks, can I just say that feeding any food to wild ducks in public areas is dangerous, not just to their health but also the environment, and is a big

Some LA's have even gone so far as to ban feeding ducks in some parks and village ponds etc, but unfortunately not everyone is aware of the problems caused by it. Rather than go into an indepth discussion here, which is most certainly OT, I'll direct you to this website for more information, and just write a brief excerpt from it here ....

1.) Feeding ducks attracts rats, pests and predators that kill ducks and endanger humans.

2.) Rotting food pollutes the water and breeds deadly diseases and parasites...

• A single outbreak of Duck Virus Enteritis (caused by artificial feeding)
kills all of the ducks.
• Uneaten food quickly forms a deadly mold called Aspergillus;
fatal to ducks without early diagnosis and expensive treatment.
• Avian Botulism (caused by artificial feeding)
kills entire waterfowl populations and hospitalizes people.
• Artificially fed ducks emit a parasite causing a condition
in humans called Swimmer's Itch.

3.) Ducks defacate at the site of scattered food or bread, bacteria in feces creates much higher risks for illness or disease.

4.) Most waterfowl die-offs in the past 10 years have been attributed to artificial feeding.

5.) Food waste bobbing on the water's edge is ugly.

6.) Ducks that are overfed create dangerous amounts of waste that harms fish and other animals living in ponds.

7.) Some foods like corn may be OK as a snack for ducks, but fish can't digest it and die. Seeds cause severe cramping pain in ducks.

Loadsabob · 6 June 2005 at 4:31PM

Best leave well enough alone then! We scoured the signs and boards around the pool for advice or warnings not to feed the ducks - there are only a few ducks there, really, and some swans. We go there in the Winter too, even Christmas Day, so wouldn't abandon them out of season.

I've always thought we were better than all the other feeders, for the wholewheat, and crumbling it up, and only feeding a bit at a time, the birds at our feet, not mindlessly throwing loads of chunks of bread in the water. And I've listened to so-called "experts" on radio phone-ins who have led me to believe that what we were doing, in moderation, was helpful, partcularly in Winter. But it sounds as though that's not the case...and we're not helping at all! Flaming media!!!

However, I do know that ducks ADORE slugs...now THERE's a thought!

Edit: to say I just looked at that site again, and what's the betting that it's only domestic ducks that like slugs?!! I think I'll give it a rest until I have those...and a pond!

spendaholic · 6 June 2005 at 4:35PM

You can buy proper duck food by mail order if you want to go and feed them. Garden Bird Supplies is one (can nip back with url if you're interested) and CJ Wildbird Food is another.

EDIT: CJ Wild Bird Food: http://www.birdfood.co.uk/dev/
Garden Bird Supplies: http://www.gardenbird.com/index.htm

Loadsabob · 6 June 2005 at 5:04PM

Thanks spendaholic! Much appreciated.

I'd only want to feed them for them, though, if you see what I mean, not for me...so I'll probably just stop. They're great to watch anyway (the ducks, not the other people!).

spendaholic · 6 June 2005 at 5:08PM

Yes, I hadn't realised the damage we cause in our so called wisdom - so thanks to CQ for drawing that website to my attention at least. There are some locations that charge you to get in and then charge you for feeding their wildfowl too. I've done a lot of work with English Nature, the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, and local authority wardens, and the only thing they ever asked us not to do was feed the ducks non-duck food. You'd think they'd know better, wouldn't you!

RockChick_4 · 6 June 2005 at 7:15PM

So, should we not feed ducks - even with the proper food?

Galtizz · 7 June 2005 at 10:50AM

I thought these posts were important in their own right so I have split them off from the hydrogenated nasties discussion

spendaholic · 7 June 2005 at 10:53AM

Thanks for stripping those out, Galtizz. It would have been a shame for this discussion to sink to the bottom of the list.

I'm now very worried about the ducks I feed duck food to.

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Feed the Ducks?

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