People feeding ducks bread?

[dannyboyle]

Ok first aibu?

Daughters and I often go to the local park to playground, but also feed the ducks at the lake. There are always people feeding ducks bread and not just small pieces, but throwing wholes slices.

Now I would hope most people know that bread is not good food for ducks and that they really should not be giving them it. There are plenty of things they can have and I go out of my way to get proper wild bird feed as suggested by local authority.

So to the aibu. In the last couple of weeks I have tried to kindly point out to people that what they are doing is not helpful and not teaching their children anything helpful ( 1 said thank you, the other two told me to mind my own ...... business!) Should I let people be (potentially in ignorance and damaging health of birds) or do I say something????

I would rather someone approached me and said nicely that there were other things I could feed them. Done carefully I cannot see why this is unreasonable. If people take offended then that really is their issue.

In our local safari park I have seen people feed the otters Doritos - I didn't say anything because it might spoil a family outing.

I did not know this.

Thank you for the information dannyboyle

Bread doesn't kill them but a bread-heavy diet from an early age is associated with a developmental deformity called angel wing, and affected ducks (and geese, and swans) can't fly.

Well in terms of duck health, no YANBU. Although expecting every tom, dick and harry to be aufait with duck nutrition is BU.

We feed them oats. They blow away in the wind (or back into your face ) and its not nearly as fun.

I was not actually offering you a smack in the mouth but merely pointing out you may want to consider your own personal safety before challenging random strangers in parks.

Grapes and defrosted peas are ok for them (apparently)

Saw on another thread tonight that bread (and in fact all carbs) is apparently v.v.v. bad and fattening. Those poor ducks!

No cafe, no wardens. There are a few signs, particularly at park entrances.

I never knew this! Thanks op!

YANBU bread is not good for birds and especially bad at this time of year when they have young. It has zero nutrition and just swells in their stomachs potentially causing death.

YANBU but I only found out about 3-4 years ago that bread was not good for ducks. Feeding the ducks bread was a tradition for so long- everyone used to do it. I remember doing it as a toddler and I used to do it with my DC until I found out it was bad for the ducks.

Yanbu I wish more people were so proactive about looking after the welfare of animals. Agree with a pp that actually trying to get signs put up at the park may be more effective though. Awareness is key. Most people just don't realise. Some also think it's fine to feed mouldy bread to the birds.

Bread isn't really that great for anything really, is it?

OP could you contact your local rspb and ask if they will do an wee information campaign? You could help them and if you have official backing you might be less likely to get problems

yanbu. I always think that people shouldnt be feeding them bread but I wouldn't have the guts to say so. My 5yr old ds however has no such reservations...he went up to someone once and told them that bread wasn't a good idea and that the ice cream van nearby sells duck feed. Luckily they took it well and went up to the van and bought some!

Would ducks like the bags if frozen banana, melon and mango that my toddler has now decided she won't touch?

Well, I did not know that op!

I used to be taken to feed the ducks at the local park when I was little. It was definitely bread I was feeding them but small bits rather than the entire slice.

Ask the council (or whoever runs the park) to put up signs; maybe you could get your local paper to run a piece like this one.

Dismissing animal welfare as a 'first world problem' and of less importance than a day out are the people really BU. (esp given that there are plenty of better things that families could take to feed the birds if they knew to).

Our local park sells seed for 90p a bag...maybe you could set up a stall OP ?

There are signs in our park too, suggesting defrosted frozen peas, raw oats and... got any grapes?

Our local park has signs up asking people not to feed bread to ducks for all the reasons mentioned above. The kiosk by the lake sells duck food for 20p.

Have lost count of the times I have seen people stood in front of these signs off-loading loaves into the lake - people just don't want to hear it.

Ok. Not unreasonable to think it then. Not so reasonable to say it! Will have a chat to LA wardens and see if more signs can go up with other suggestions.

Small amounts of Brown bread is not harmful.

White bread is not so good.

Tbh I think you should mind your own business, you sound like a bit of a busy body.

I had no idea that bread was bad for ducks - feeding bread to the ducks has just been 'what people do' for so long that I just assumed it was fine, otherwise it would be common knowledge, and maybe signs up pointing out suitable food. Clearly not.

So, I'll bear it in mind for the future. Having said that, I'd hate for a stranger to tell me not to do it in public, I'd find it very embarrassing.

I'll get my kids to bung a bag of birdseye petite pouis next time.

ok ok....

NO most people do not know that the life long feeding of the ducks is bad...no....

However I fail to see rat issue when the ducks wolf down bread and leave no bread at all.

I also think it would be a wondeful side line for you to make up suitable feed. and when you approach people....offer them the feed instead for a small fee to donate to birds....