One of your first experiences of feeding birds may have been as a child throwing some bread to the ducks and swans at your local pond or nearby river. Although feeding bread to ducks may seem like a kind thing to do and a great way of getting rid of stale bread it can actually be potentially dangerous for them.
Bread and similar food such as biscuits and cakes are a good source of carbohydrate but they offer little else in the way of nutritional value for any birds, including waterfowl like ducks, swans and geese. Bread is the equivalent of junk food for birds and, just as with humans, too much of it can lead to weight gain and malnutrition.
Moderate feeding of bread when mixed with other bird food is not as harmful which is why it’s fine to give it to your garden birds in small amounts. But when you’re feeding ducks in a public area you won’t know who else and how often other people have been feeding them. If the duck pond is in a busy area then the ducks could subsist almost solely on bread fed to them which can lead to some serious dietary problems.
Too many carbohydrates will eventually lead to obesity in birds and they will become sluggish and may find it difficult to fly. This makes it harder for them to evade predators such as foxes and dogs, and losing the ability to fly can also disrupt their natural migration patterns.
Overfeeding ducks bread means their ducklings may become malnourished which can stunt their growth and development. A disorder known as “angel wing” in which the wings grow abnormally outwards is thought to be caused by a carbohydrate-rich diet. Ducklings, cygnets and goslings will also not learn to forage for natural foods as the source of bread is so easy to come by.
When ducks are fed too much bread not all of it will be eaten and the leftovers will eventually go soggy and rotten leading to greater algae growth that can clog waterways. This concentrates pollution, eventually eradicating fish and other pond life which not only destroys the ecosystem, but also removes more of the ducks’ natural food sources.
Mouldy bread can also cause aspergillosis in waterfowl, a lung condition that is contracted from inhaling fungi spores. Common symptoms of aspergillosis include gasping, listlessness and dehydration and, if not caught early or left untreated, is fatal to ducks and waterfowl.
A carbohydrate rich diet means ducks will defecate more often which is pretty unpleasant underfoot, and bird faeces harbour bacteria responsible for a number of diseases including avian botulism which can wipe out entire flocks of birds. Leftover bread will also attract vermin such as rats and mice that carry all sorts of nasty bacteria and parasites, some of which are dangerous to humans.
As ducks become used to being fed they will start to lose their natural fear of people and may become aggressive in order to get more food. Some waterfowl such as geese and swans can be quite dangerous when riled and have been known to attack children. Their lack of fear also means they may start to take risks to reach sources of food which makes them vulnerable to predators.
Although wild ducks and waterfowl will live longer, healthier lives eating natural food such as aquatic plants, grasses and insects, if you want to feed the ducks there are many alternatives that are much more suitable and safer than bread.
Dried cracked corn, fresh corn cut from the cob, and frozen sweetcorn kernels are all ok to feed to ducks. Don’t feed ducks corn at a pond which contains fish as they’ll find it hard to digest if they eat it. If you want to feed ducks tinned sweetcorn check the levels of salt and sugar.
Uncooked steel-cut or rolled porridge oats are a great alternative to bread. You can also feed ducks other grains such as wheat, barley, or millet, as well as bird seed mixes and sunflower hearts and seeds. Rice, both cooked and uncooked, is also fine.
Ducks will happily eat vegetable scraps such as peelings and the tops and tails of root vegetables that you may otherwise throw away. They’ll also tuck into peas, courgettes, lettuce, cucumber, beans, cabbage, and broccoli. Chop vegetables into small pieces before you feed them to ducks.
Halved and de-seeded grapes are a firm favourite with ducks, as are raisins. They’ll also enjoy berries, and small pieces of melon, apple, pear, peach, and banana.
Mealworms are a high source of protein that will be enjoyed by all waterfowl. Protein is important all year round but particularly during breeding season and during the winter.
As well as bread, there are a few other foods you should avoid feeding to ducks.
Ducks can’t digest popcorn hulls and kernels and they can get stuck in the crop and rot over time.
Spinach can interfere with calcium production which can cause egg binding problems in ducks. Onions and related vegetables can cause diarrhoea and vomiting in birds or a blood condition called hemolytic anemia which is followed by respiratory disease.
Cornflakes and other cereals offer little in the way of nutritional value for ducks. They can also be high in sugar and other additives so should be avoided.
Don’t feed ducks crisps, cakes, crackers, biscuits, sweets, or any other ‘junk food’.
Although avocados are a highly nutritious food for humans, they are toxic to birds including ducks, and can cause heart failure.
Oranges, lemons, and limes, as well as other fruits with a high acid content such as mango and pineapple should be avoided as they can cause stomach pain and digestive problems.
Whoever you choose to feed ducks try to vary what you feed them, so they don’t become reliant on one single food type.
Alternatively you can buy duck and swan food that has been specially formulated for waterfowl. It even floats so the ducks can find it more easily!
2 Responses
I have wild ducks in my moat and feed them mixed corn twice a day. I have noticed 2 of them having difficulty standing fron sitting and their rear ends are pointing downwards. The recent ducklings too reached semi grown then all died they were fed sunflower hearts. There has been no rain for weeks and the moat is distinctly revolting with bloom and the water is pretty nasty. I do give them fresh water everyday in a large plastic tray that constantly needs refreshing. Am I doing something wrong?? Many thanks
Just starting out with four young ducks at home finding out the best diet for these four siblings at the moment I got them on chick crumble and oatsmeal which seems fine for now thanks for the info as I will be trying veg and other things they like these four come from a school hatched and tamed I would like more advice when it’s available thanks