Sedgemoor District Council has this week asked families taking their exercise walks at Highbridge’s Apex Park not to feed the ducks bread amid concern it is harming them.
Council spokeswoman Claire Faun says: “With many people and children walking out and about, in parks, by the canal or river, it’s always lovely to see children feeding the ducks with stale bread.”
“However, ducks need a varied diet to be healthy and bread doesn’t hold much nutritional value for ducks.”
“It fills the duck’s stomach so that they don’t forage for food that they would normally eat, which can lead to malnutrition.”
“Uneaten soggy bread can also cause a build-up of bad nutrients, which can lead to more algae growing around the water.”
“This, in turn, can attracts pest such as rats and can be harmful to dogs that drink from the lake.”
“So if you want to feed the ducks, they also love the following foods Sweetcorn – Frozen or Fresh; Lettuce – Rocket, kale and Iceburg; Peas; Oats – Flapjack, rolled oats or instant porridge; Seeds – Bird seeds or seeds and nuts; Rice – Cooked or uncooked.”
