Feeding bread to ducks is the equivalent of
giving them junk food. Scientists have warned that one of Britain’s favourite
pastimes is making ducks fat. Feeding bread to ducks is a source of
carbohydrate with little other nutritional value. Although this is ok in
moderation, ducks can face copious amounts of bread thrown at them at certain
times of year. They tend to seek out this easy food source
meaning that ducklings lose the training to forage for food. This leaves them
hungry when they are not hand fed. Other problems include becoming more
susceptible to predation as too much starch leads to the animal becoming
bloated and lethargic – a prime target. They can also suffer from diseases
originating from mouldy bread or the increase in faeces associated with over
eating. Suggestions on what ducks should instead be fed include: corn, barley,
grain and duck feed pellets. So, next time you decide to go to feed the ducks,
leave the stale bread at home and grab a handful of grain instead!
