Feeding the Ducks

Children love to feed the ducks. The ducks (and swans and geese and moorhens) always look starving and are so grateful for the scraps of bread that the children throw at them. There isn't much in life that's funnier - for a child - than to hit a duck with a tiny chunk of bread, or have them catch it in their beak.

But should we feed the ducks? At Furzton Lake in Milton Keynes there is a feeding platform. We take one slice of granary bread for each child, already torn into bite-sized pieces. Once it's gone, it's gone. We shake out the bag for the sparrows.

I have no idea what was going to through the minds of the people who threw into the water whole naan bread, half a loaf of soda bread, the whole rolls or the massive pieces of French stick. Idiots.

I've always felt uneasy watching other families arrive with whole loaves of white bread. I really dislike plastic white bread and can't imagine it does the ducks much good. I decided to find out.

A quick Google threw up a great website called Duck Rescue Network . They have all the answers. Sadly we shouldn't be feeding the ducks at all. Any type of bread is bad for their health. If you must feed the ducks they can eat greens, defrosted peas, grapes (cut up) or grains. We'll do that next time.


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