I think we all enjoy time spent outside and some of us may be fortunate to live near water and enjoy a walk by a river, lake or canal. We may be fortunate to see some ducks and even feed them ... but if you do feed ducks do please take the following into account!
There are actually a few reasons why you should avoid feeding ducks bread. For starters, bread is not very nutritional for ducks. Can you imagine the health implications if you only ate bread as your diet?
Not only is it not nutritious, bread will attract many other birds and cause overcrowding, which in turn results in an increase in droppings. This can cause further disruption, such as slippery surfaces and possible damage to habitats and waterways.
So what can you feed ducks?
Here is a list of six different foods that you can use as duck feed, instead of bread.
Here is a list of six different foods that you can use as duck feed, instead of bread.
1. Sweetcorn
It turns out that ducks are quite partial to sweetcorn. Tinned, frozen, or fresh. Obviously, remove them from the tin first.
2. Lettuce
As a nation we're guilty of throwing away a vast amount of lettuce, especially the bagged variety. Instead of consigning it to the bin, rip it into pieces and treat your local ducks. Rocket, kale, and iceberg are all great choices.
3. Frozen peas
There's no need to cook them but make sure you defrost them first.
4. Oats
Flapjacks, rolled oats, and even instant porridge oats will be a huge hit with ducks.
5. Seeds
Whether you buy bird seed or just seeds from the fruit and nut aisle in the supermarket, the ducks will be very grateful for these nutritious nibbles.
6. Rice
Ducks will appreciate a handful of leftover rice if you've cooked too much for your dinner. You can also use uncooked rice, both are fine.
What foods should you avoid?
There are a few foods you should avoid feeding ducks in addition to bread.
1. Crisps
Not just crisps, don't feed ducks any 'junk food'.
2. Popcorn
Popcorn hulls and kernels are difficult for ducks to digest, and they can become lodged in their throat and decay over time.
3. Cornflakes
Cornflakes and other cereals provide very little nutritional value to ducks and are high in sugar and other additives.
Cornflakes and other cereals provide very little nutritional value to ducks and are high in sugar and other additives.
4. Citrus fruits
Avoid citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes, as well as other high-acid fruits like mango and pineapple, which can induce digestive issues.
5. Onions and spinach
Spinach can induce egg binding issues in ducks by interfering with calcium production. Onions and related vegetables can cause diarrhoea and vomiting, as well as hemolytic anaemia, which can lead to respiratory illness.
6. Avocados
Avocados are a healthy snack for humans, but they are poisonous to birds, particularly ducks, and can induce heart failure.
Words above taken from here
Why your park may have a duck vending machine?
"Everyone likes to feed the ducks and this initiative will help ensure that the birds are getting a healthy diet,"
However, not all the recipe ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team.
All the best Jan
It is all part of the national Feed The Ducks Initiative, which has been working with local authorities across the country (UK) to install the vending machines in a push to reduce bread feeding.
Visitors can use the machine to buy portions of duck-healthy snacks, and clear signs alert people to the issues of feeding the ducks bread.
"Everyone likes to feed the ducks and this initiative will help ensure that the birds are getting a healthy diet,"
Words and image (photo credit Jean Foster) from here
Do you enjoy feeding the ducks, I do and mostly use seeds and peas, and of course on returning home I very often sit down with a cuppa and slice of low carb cake perhaps this Blueberry Coconut Cake see recipe here
As regular readers know, this blog is presented in a magazine style. You will find a variety of articles, studies, thoughts, photographs, music and recipes!
However, not all the recipe ideas featured in this blog may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health it is always advisable to consult your Doctor or health care team.
All the best Jan
36 comments:
Interesting. I live in a town known for our ducks. Now I know what to feed them.
Me gustan los patos. Te mando un beso.
...I've never fed them.
Very interesting information. We don't have any ducks around here but I hadn't thought about what would be good for them.
By the way, we had the baked eggs for breakfast this morning. SO yummy. It was the first time I ever baked them.
We don't have any duck around us, but I still found this interesting, especially the things ducks shouldn't eat.
Very good tips -Christine cmlk79.blogspot.com
I been thinking of taking an drive out to our game reserve.
Very few wild birds/animals do well on bread. So I don't give it to them. Corn for ducks is new to me - and I like it. Thank you.
I saw a sign here saying do not feed the ducks. And really, river Oker seems to provide well. So well they even "go shopping"! I saw ducks on the way to and in the city!
I love to feed ducks as long as they cannot come up to me. They peck my toes. I suppose they look like tasty morsels. Long ago, we fed ducks anything. It is good to know how to feed them food that will help them be healthy, not harm them.
I was aware of not feeding bread to birds, but had no idea they would eat peas or lettuce :) Enjoy the rest of the week Jan.
I have known for awhile that it is not good to feed bread to the birds and ducks.
You provided a nice list of food that is good for the ducks.
Take care, enjoy your day!
A very important post Jan, informative and very interesting. I don’t usually feed the ducks or others when we are out and about. The places we go to usually have signs requesting not to feed them and giving the reasons. I will definitely take note of all the good things on this list though. Thanks so much and all the best :)
'Obviously, remove them from the tin first.' That made me laugh. I like seeing ducks and other water birds but rarely feed them as we are always accompanied by two attentive, food-focused Labradors.
I have never been to a place where there is advertising to feed the ducks. I have only seen signs not to feed them in official birding locations.
That's fascinating! Thanks for sharing this information.
Haven't fed ducks in years...and that cake looks wonderful!!
hugs
Donna
That is a good checklist
Informative Jan. Here were are not permitted to feed ducks at all, there are signs saying so.
I am keeping this - unfortunately we have been feeding them bread. Thanks.
Good tips Jan. It is really important to feed them good food for them. My local ducks love sweetcorn and seeds and I buy swan and duck pellets for them, special floating pellets for waterfowl. I really enjoy feeding the ducks, they are amazing little creatures and so much fun to watch. :-D
It is a shame people don't know this. We seem to want to feed them crap!
When the girlies were little we used to love going near the river behind the grocery store to watch the ducks and geese. Blueberry coconut cake sounds delish and would be all mine because Himself doesn't like coconut
Hello Jan :)
Thank you for this important informative post. I did know that one shouldn't feed bread to ducks, but I didn't know what was good food to feed them.
We eat a lot of rice in Portugal, so next time I go to the park I will take some left over rice to feed the ducks.
All the best
Sonjia
I love ducks, they're so cute.
wow blueberry coconut cake ...sounds so good. We only feed the ducks at the lake with a special seed. Good article about them.
En el parque de María Luisa de Sevilla, tenemos un estanque de patos al que suelo visitar al menos dos veces al mes, y siempre me suelo llevar para alimentarlos una lata de guisantes cocidos, pero a partir de hoy y gracias a ti les llevaré otro productos que no sabía que les gustaba. Allí observo que muchas personas les echan también de comer altramuces, que parece que les gusta mucho, y que los venden allí mismo, aunque también me llama la atención que son muchas las personas que les echan pan, y que pienso que es, por desconocimiento.
Un cordial saludo, Jan.
Great info. Thanks, Jan.
Thanks for a great list. I never take duck food to the ditch because I'm never sure what they should have. (They also have signs that say don't feed, but people do.) We might go walking with the grands this weekend -- maybe I'll pack a baggie of bird seed!
Good post, Jan. Maybe more people will be informed what they can feed the ducks.
Buena recomendación, a tener en cuenta, si quieres aportar alimentación a estos animales.
Un abrazo.
GOOGLE TRANSLATE
J.P. Alexander
Me gustan los patos. Te mando un beso.
I like ducks. I send you a kiss.
Manuel
En el parque de María Luisa de Sevilla, tenemos un estanque de patos al que suelo visitar al menos dos veces al mes, y siempre me suelo llevar para alimentarlos una lata de guisantes cocidos, pero a partir de hoy y gracias a ti les llevaré otro productos que no sabía que les gustaba. Allí observo que muchas personas les echan también de comer altramuces, que parece que les gusta mucho, y que los venden allí mismo, aunque también me llama la atención que son muchas las personas que les echan pan, y que pienso que es, por desconocimiento.
Un cordial saludo, Jan.
In María Luisa Park in Seville, we have a duck pond that I visit at least twice a month, and I always bring a can of cooked peas to feed them. But starting today, thanks to you, I'll bring them another product I didn't know they liked. There, I notice that many people also feed them lupins, which they seem to really like, and they sell them there. I'm also surprised that many people throw them bread, which I think is due to ignorance.
Best regards, Jan.
Miradas desde mi lente
Buena recomendación, a tener en cuenta, si quieres aportar alimentación a estos animales.
Un abrazo.
Good advice, worth keeping in mind if you want to feed these animals.
Hugs.
REPY TO
Manuel who as part of his comment said ...
I notice that many people also feed them lupins, which they seem to really like, and they sell them there.
Hello Manuel
Thank you for your comment.
You mentioned lupins and apparently "The seeds of the lupin plant, also referred to as lupins, can be incorporated in poultry diets, but the recommended level of inclusion varies depending on the type of lupin and the poultry species in question. The lupin species most typically incorporated in livestock diets include white lupin (Lupinus albus), blue or narrow-leafed lupin (L. angustifolius), and yellow lupin (L. luteus). Unlike soybeans, lupins do not require roasting before they can be fed to poultry."
More to read here:-
https://poultry.extension.org/articles/feeds-and-feeding-of-poultry/feed-ingredients-for-poultry/legumes-in-poultry-feed/lupins-in-poultry-diets/
My Reply Google Translate
Manuel quien como parte de su comentario dijo...
Me doy cuenta de que mucha gente también les da de comer altramuces, que parecen gustarles mucho, y los venden allí.
Hola Manuel
Gracias por tu comentario.
Mencionaste los altramuces y aparentemente "Las semillas de la planta de altramuz, también conocidas como altramuces, se pueden incorporar a las dietas de las aves de corral, pero el nivel recomendado de inclusión varía según el tipo de altramuz y la especie de ave en cuestión. Las especies de altramuz más típicamente incorporadas en las dietas del ganado incluyen el altramuz blanco (Lupinus albus), el altramuz azul o de hojas estrechas (L. angustifolius) y el altramuz amarillo (L. luteus). A diferencia de la soja, los altramuces no requieren ser tostados antes de que puedan ser alimentados por las aves de corral".
Más para leer aquí:-
https://poultry.extension.org/articles/feeds-and-feeding-of-poultry/feed-ingredients-for-poultry/legumes-in-poultry-feed/lupins-in-poultry-diets/
All the best Jan
¡Todo lo mejor Jan
I know you shouldn't feed ducks bread. So interesting to know about the foods that you can feed them!!
Good advice! I've heard the advice to feed ducks with frozen peas instread of bread years ago and have always done so since.
Feeding the ducks in the park can be fun especially children love to watch them gobble up the food. There are several signs in our local park asking that one NOT feed the ducks/geese anything at all. Mostly people obey.
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