Please do not feed bread to the ducks
It has been noted that large amounts of bread are being left around the ponds, some of it still in bags, some of i
t rotting.
Please do not feed bread to the ducks.
5 reasons why bread is bad:
- ducks need a varied diet to be healthy, bread doesn’t have much nutritional value and fills ducks up so they don’t forage for foods they would naturally eat, which can lead to malnutrition
- uneaten soggy bread can cause a build-up of bad nutrients which can lead to greater algal growth, spread disease and encourage pests such as rats
- throwing bread into a canal or river can create overcrowding of bird populations, as the birds will flock to the same location in search of their starchy treat
- too many ducks or waterfowl in one place can stress the birds and lead to their habitats being damaged
- it also creates excessive amounts of bird droppings which, along with being smelly and slippery underfoot, can reduce water quality and clog waterways with harmful algae
A resident has also reported that some of the ducks are showing signs of angel wing as a result of being fed bread.
Angel wing, also known as airplane wing, slipped wing, crooked wing, and drooped wing, is a syndrome that affects primarily aquatic birds, such as geese and ducks, in which the last joint of the wing is twisted with the wing feathers pointing out laterally, instead of lying against the body. This affects its ability to fly.