Bottom line on feeding bread to ducks: not a good idea.
Just about every time I walk with my kids down to our local pond where the ducks and geese hang out I see people feeding bread to the waterfowl. They usually offer my kids a piece of bread to feed to the birds. We usually refuse (by which I mean I usually refuse for my kids). I wonder whether these people think I'm just a mean dad.
My view is that it's usually best not to feed wild animals. At the following link are some reasons not to feed bread to ducks.
What do you think? Do you feed your stale bread to ducks or geese? Do you think it causes problems? Do you think I'm a mean dad?
2022: And so I Read
2 years ago
2 comments:
There is a duck pond near Jon's office that we enjoy visiting, but we never feed the ducks. I sometimes see people using birdfeed, which seems like it would probably be better than bread, but there are also people who feed bread, popcorn, and chips to them. It is really fun to watch them eat, and it probably wouldn't be bad for them if it only happened occasionally, but they get fed so much that I can't justify feeding them just so I can watch them being cute. I don't think you're a mean dad, especially if you tell your kids the reason for not feeding them. (Of course, then you run the risk of your kids chastising strangers for feeding ducks.) Or you could go hunt for live "bait," like worms and bugs, and at least feed them nutritious duck food.
The real reason I commented here, though, was to tell you that last week I saw a duck chase and catch a little goldfish. The fish struggled in the duck's beak for a while until the duck finally got the positioning right and gobbled the fish down. I was surprised but pleased to see a duck at a university actually hunting its own food!
No Jamie I think you are an awesome Dad and commend you for standing up for the welfare of the ducks.
Willow Park Zoo in Logan doesn't allow the public to feed the ducks, except for the ducks in one specific pond. Then you may only feed them the pellets that you purchase by that pond. I think the ducks have been doing so much better, since those restrictions were put in place.
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