We’ve been testing alternatives to bread for ducks with Mike Dilger in Buxton.
Did the ducks prefer porridge oats, peas, lettuce, bird seed or Quack Snacks?
Find out on BBC Inside Out across the Midlands in the New Year!
Update 09/03/20: BBC Inside Out – 9th March 2020
“These pellets, undoubtedly the winner….the birds are loving them”
Further reading:
If you’ve read the BBC’s online coverage of the recent “duck bread sign” controversy and Googled “Quack Snacks” – yes, that’s us quoted in the piece.
This did all happen a month ago, but thanks to all those people Googling “Quack Snacks”, things have been rather busy at Quack Snacks HQ – thank you all for your orders!
For more details about the bread debate, please see:
According to parts of the internet, the earth is flat, Elvis is still alive and actually it’s okay to feed ducks with bread.
Yes, we’ve seen that poster too – the one that says that you should feed bread to ducks, because although it’s not the healthiest, it’s better than nothing.
It has become an instant battle flag for the people who have always regarded to advice to not feed bread to ducks as being baloney invented by do-gooders and those who just want to sell you an alternative (as if it’s only okay for a bread baker to sell you things for ducks?!).
So, if you’ve stopped feeding bread to ducks and are now wondering who is right, here are the facts in brief from the bird and wildfowl professionals:
So, a very small amount of bread isn’t a problem – but is only doing “no harm” rather than “doing something good” – and lots of bread and lots of people offering bread actually is a problem.
Since you can’t control what everyone else might be offering the ducks, the Wildfowl and Wetlands trust offer this advice:
“WWT recommends that ducks, swans and geese be fed with vegetables, grain or specialist food where possible. That way, you can be as sure as possible that you are helping the birds rather than inadvertently causing any problems for them. “
There are better alternatives to bread at every price point – so there is no rational reason we can see at all to feed ducks with bread.
We should however add that in our opinion, too much of a good thing can also be bad. Feeding wild ducks responsibly isn’t just about offering the right kind of food, it’s about not overfeeding them too.
So whether you choose peas or porridge oats, garden bird seed or specialist duck food, don’t shovel it into the water. Offer them a little so you get to enjoy interacting with them – and then move along to find some more ducks. That way, you’re leaving them to get on with their own natural feeding habits too and there is much less danger of you polluting the water with food they can’t or don’t eat.
Studies have shown that being outdoors and engaging with nature can increase our health and happiness – so on today’s World Smile Day, we’ll be sure to head outdoors and have a quacking time with our feathered friends. For other great reasons to get outdoors, see our review of the wonderful book 365 Days Wild >
There’s always one clever clogs who thinks they can get a snack direct from the source! However, Quack Snacks are best scattered sparingly over the water, so our friend had to head back into the water for a nutritious Quack Snack.
