Watch our video to find out how the age old tradition of heading to a local waterways to feed the ducks leftover bread is harming the ducks, and what we all should be feeding them instead.
The Canal & River Trust – which provides homes to hundreds of thousands of ducks and other waterfowl like swans and geese – are calling on people to feed the ducks responsibly by swapping bread for more natural treats like oats, corn, or defrosted frozen peas. The charity also wants people to spread the love and visit a new family of ducks but remember to exercise portion control to make sure they’re not overfed.
Canal & River Trust estimates that each year, 6 million loaves of bread equal to 20 double decker buses full are being thrown into canals and rivers in England and Wales – potentially polluting the water and damaging hundreds of thousands of ducks’ homes as well as harming their health.
Bread can be harmful to a duck’s health as it’s nothing like their natural diet and is the equivalent of junk food. The uneaten soggy bread can also cause a build-up of bad nutrients creating harmful algae which can spread disease and attract pests such as rats.
