Shamed at the Duck pond.

[GiveMeAUserName123]

Took my kids to the duck pond today as we accidentally let close to a whole loaf of bread go mouldy. Instead of waste it I thought we could give it to the ducks…..well!

Got there and there was a mum, who if you was to judge on the spot came across as one of those perfect, kind, loving hippy mums with polite kids, she was handing her children what could only be described as real duck feed, they were pellet like and brown.

Also there across the pond was a dad with his young kid, about 4, throwing in peas from a brown kfraft box that has obviously been recycled.

Then us, I’m married, but if you was to judge there and then, a single mum, standing there with her two kids throwing bread into the pond out of the plastic wrapper, with (very slight) mould. Completely inorganic and clearly not saving the world.

The young 4 year old said “ducks don’t eat bread” to his dad who was in ear shot of us, he replied that they do sometimes eat bread as he was obviously being polite to us.

Since when did parents become so perfect?

Just felt like a huge fail as we crossed back over the bridge to read a sign that said “bread kills ducks.”

(My kids didn’t notice the sign thank god!)

🤦🏼‍♀️ Fail

You shouldn't have fed them anything mouldy, and I thought it was well known that ducks, geese or swans shouldn't be fed bread

Why do you need to take food to them? Surely their pond is full of the weed that is their ideal NATURAL nourishment.
Likewise bread being left out for hedgehogs, not good for them. Best suggestion for hedgehogs is a shallow dish of water.

@bringincrazyback

I genuinely don't get why people are accusing the OP of judging single mums. Surely she was picturing a scenario where the 'perfect' mum might be a bit of a judgy person who might judge a single mum?

Not wanting to put words in the OP's mouth, but that was what I presumed when I read it.

Me too. But some pp’s have got to have a bit of drama.

I used to keep ducks OP. The neighbourhood loved feeding them bread.
We never stopped them and the ducks lived to a good age. Obviously we gave them a nutritious diet too. And they ate insects all day.

Last year ducks and swans were starving for lack of food because the public daren’t feed them bread.
Hence the posters saying it’s ok.

In winter feed bread to ducks.
In spring, summer and autumn don’t feed quite so much. The ducks will mostly find their own food.

What is wrong with being a ''Single'' mum? ''I'm married'' you smugly say...
So were many Women us 'til their husbands were unfaithful, and they sought divorce.

Not a good idea feed mouldy bread to ducks, or any other animal.

It isn't a natural food for them, and it fouls up the water in many ''Duck'' ponds.

I genuinely don't get why people are accusing the OP of judging single mums

Because the other two people were on their own but clearly not single due to their superior duck feeding.
OP might look single because she had a plastic bag with mouldy bread in it.

So clearly thinks they’d judge her for being a single mum with mouldy bread. But had to reassure everyone here that she is married.

What’s so bad about being a single parent? I am one and have two loved and well adjusted kids. I think YABU and very pompous

@Mymapuddlington

I genuinely don't get why people are accusing the OP of judging single mums

Because the other two people were on their own but clearly not single due to their superior duck feeding.
OP might look single because she had a plastic bag with mouldy bread in it.

So clearly thinks they’d judge her for being a single mum with mouldy bread. But had to reassure everyone here that she is married.

This. 100%.

Quite a few people are saying things like 'well, ducks LOVE bread' or that they prefer it to oats and peas. Obviously that doesn't mean it's good for them to be given lots of it, though? Animals like junk food too.

If you're feeding wild animals, you have to be a bit responsible about it, not just give them whatever they'll hoover up. Hedgehogs are a good example. They bloody love mealworms and will start turning their nose up at everything else once they're on offer. And then they get ill and die from the resulting nutritional deficiencies...

I don't get it...

Am I the only MNer (married or otherwise) wondering what a kfraft box is? I clearly need to procure one of these so that when we go out a-feeding the ducks we look a cut above the rest at the pond-side.

@Mariell

More embarrassing for me is the outrage my dog has that anyone could throw perfectly good food into the water and the first time I fed ducks with him, he looked panic stricken and plunged into the water to retrieve the bread and devour it!

Labrador by any chance? I've had the same!

It's a brown cardboard box, @MsFogi!

Didn’t realise duck feeding was supposed to be so intricate and precise instead of a relaxing past time

Well
No but They are living beings that need food that is good for them. Not just something to do to pass the time.

@Thatsplentyjack

Why would people think you were a single mother?

And so fucking what if they did?

Idiot. Mouldy bread for the ducks? Heaven forfend you might have looked like a single parent with your shitty bread. Idiot.

I've got "Shamed at the duck pond" in my head to the tune of Murder on the Dancefloor now.

You can definitely feed bread, but not mouldy bread

We had a neighbour who would hang out of an upstairs window when I was feeding my rabbits and guinea pigs normal food, or cut up vegetables, and say I should be feeding them tea leaves. They’re not going to get fat on the contents of my one tea bag a day.

She had an opinion on every single thing I did, and I was so relieved when her children moved her into a home.

‘Shamed at the duck pond’
Christmas number one?

I walk through a park on my way to and from work. I always buy a sandwich from Pret on my way in. One day my boss treated me to an unexpected restaurant lunch - ribeye steak, bearnaise sauce and chips and lashings of red wine. On my way home I tore up my uneaten Pret chicken salad sandwich with mayonnaise on wholemeal bread and scattered it on the bank by the side of the lake for the birds, squirrels and probably rats .

In the morning all the bread and chicken was gone but they had left the lettuce, tomatoes and cucumber. It remained every day until it mouldered and rotted into the ground.

I am married but not a mother.

Feeding bread to them is alright, even slightly moldy bread . The campaign as someone pointed out was to promote other foods being fed as bread is just not the healthiest .

@Marmite27

I thought it was quite well known not to give ducks bread. It knackers up the pond bio-whatsit.

We bought a big tub of floating stuff in lockdown one after I couldn’t take another tantrum over the stuff we had sinking.

They dive down and eat the sunken bits !

The OP was clearly very embarrassed about luck of duck knowledge so used all possible rudeness and defence to justify her act.
Twat quite frankly

It’s not nitpicking to pick up on a point you’ve made central to your post OP, and yes I do understand what you’ve written.

The only people who have been shamed today are single mothers, who you clearly think are beneath you.

As others have said, ducks can be fed bread but ideally not mouldy, and it’s best to wet it first so it doesn’t expand in their stomachs.

@chesirecat99

It's a brown cardboard box, *@MsFogi*!

Ah thank you! I was imagining something more along the lines of a fading plastic marjorine tub .