Make sure ducks are healthy this autumn

​Havering Council is urging families to feed the ducks a different diet this half term week, which includes salad, grains and vegetables.

​Duck stickers will be given out to those feeding the ducks in Havering’s parks over the half term break, to help spread the word about the campaign to encourage families to educate others on why bread is bad for ducks. Residents can also get a duck icon for their Twitter photo, from the campaign page.

Issues at some of the borough’s parks, such as Harrow Lodge and Raphael Parks​, have seen wildfowl suffer fatal consequences due to botulism - a severe form of food poisoning. Uneaten scraps of mouldy bread can harm oxygen levels in the water in the lake and causes an increase in these harmful bacteria.

The bread also fills duck’s stomachs, making them feel full so that they don’t eat the grains or get the nutrients that they are supposed to. This can cause a syndrome called ‘Angel Wing’ – which can be caused by a high-calorie diet and means the joints in the wing become twisted and stops the birds from being able to fly.

In addition, overfeeding ducks with bread can lead to a build-up of droppings - this causes the growth of more algae, which can deprive the water of oxygen and be a source of botulism.

Items on the menu for a healthy duck include greens such as lettuce and spinach, uncooked grains such brown rice, linseed and plain porridge oats, bird seeds and corn. Some of these items are available at some local cafes in the borough’s parks, but most will be in the cupboard at home.

Councillor Melvin Wallace, Cabinet Member for Culture and Community Engagement, said;

“Residents will be used to going to the park to feed bread to the ducks because it’s one of those things that we have all got used to doing. But unknown to many, this is seriously damaging the health of the birds and the wildlife in the borough’s lakes. 

“This half-term, our parks are likely to be busy with families feeding the ducks and I ask residents to make sure our birds get a varied diet by feeding them the food they need.”m