My wife and I take our dogs for a walk around central park everyday, we also take bread and leftover parrot seed to feed the wild birds, today this notice was on the fence around the small pond. I don't know who put it there. Generations of family's have enjoyed going to the park to feed the ducks. What is going on in this world?

I think it's a safe bet to say the cafe put it there.

My thoughts too Willo.

you can get a loaf for 20p on the whoops in asda

duck food will attract rats as well. Perhaps the ducks should be on 5 a day.

Everything it says is true. Same as it is no good for dogs.I gave up bread for Lent and feel so much better.Not bloated and have lost weight.(I'm far from religious btw..just used Lent as an excuse )

Agree with Nidgynoo.

Bread is really bad for ducklings. That is why the mother ducks scoop it up,like there is no tomorrow, preventing their babies from getting it. In turn the mother duck bloats. (how much bread can you eat?)
Full of all the wrong things anyway, these days. Stick with the duck food it has to be much better and I'm sure they will thank you for it.
The rats, in plentiful supply, will already be eating the bread crumbs and anything else that's left lying around..
I should imagine all those who see themselves as animal/wildlife lovers, will obviously follow these guidelines, and set an example to anyone else. 20p wouldn't bankrupt would it, and if you can't afford it maybe just watch someone else feeding them ? Same pleasures surely ?

I chuckle when I read these notices- for generations kids have fed ducks, introducing them to wildlife. If it was so bad then there would be a shortage of ducks- which there is not.
I don't feed ducks much, but I recommend kingsmill.

the cafe is a non-profit set up and is used to give work experience to the less fortunate amongst us

It would be nice to give the Quackers what they need. It would be good if the theory could be extended to the portion of the human population who live on bread, potatoes, beans and eggs.

I agree with the notice. Feeding wild birds bread, at places like the lake, might be traditional, but it does them no good at all and actually harms them.
Feeding most wild animals, in fact, does more harm than good...

There has been a similiar sign in Birkenhead park for ages, they sell duck food at 50p a bag.

I dont know why people dont take any notice of good advice re wild animals. Bread is a disaster for all birds, it clogs their crops and gives them no nutrition whatsoever. It also does the harm that it says on the notice. But everyone sees it as an attack on their rights to feed them with bread, notwithstanding the harm done to them, you might as well kick them or stone them as the harm done by bread to them has the same outcome, ultimate distress and death.

Little Felicity, Samantha, Damian etc would be far better being shown by their parents and grandparents, the right way to feed the ducks with the proper food, then little Samantha, Felicity and Damian will carry it on and hopefully teach their children the same. That's of course if the ducks are still around and have not been wiped out by the ignorant and selfish ' I've a right ' brigade.

Er, I think it has been, Moonstar (they are known these days as "benefits").

As I understand it, disabled young people are used to do the chores for nothing and are not permitted to accept tips. Can anyone confirm?

I was rather thinking of those people reliant on food banks and due to low income having low quality grub. I have been in this position myself in the 1960s.

Feeding bread to birds makes them feel full which prevents foraging on natural food stuffs. This causes poor nutrition and a condition called angel wings. Stick to natural foods for birds! Much better for them. This is an interesting post.

I was told feeding seagulls with bread soaked in either baking powder or was it bi-carb, made their guts blow up inside them. I had tadpoles years ago and my mum fed them bread, they blew up. not a nice sight.

I agree with everything except kingsmill, just got to be hovis brown bread :-)

Zipper, your posts aren't even slightly funny on this subject.
Give up, before granny takes a slipper to your botty !

moonstar, the disabled people are not 'used' they are getting valuable work experience,giving them, and us, a chance to interact.

Eggandchips - as much as I appreciate what you are saying - but six hours washing dishes with hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy? I don't think so.

washing dishes? they only do tea / coffee and biscuits.that's all i have seen on all of my visits.

i shall pop into this sweat-shop on tuesday to investigate. my friends wife is a supervisor/carer there, she will be alarmed that you think this.

may be you would care to meet me there one day, tea and biscuits are on me

apologies for being 'off topic'

Esther McVile will be wetting her knickers with excitement....

Just back from a great weekend with the kids feeding the ducks! Not one of them exploded yet.
Its amazing how 99% of the people feeding the ducks were as irresponsible as me.
99% feeding bread and 1% feeding seed.
I'm off for a duck pancake anyways.

I just CAN'T believe how 'funny' you are !

Eggandchips - I crossed my wires and misunderstood where this particular disabled person was working. It's not in Central Park but a place called Best Bites situated off Gorsey Lane. This is what Best Bites says it is about.

http://www.wirralwell.org/directory_details/items/best-bites-employment-project-1335471281.html

I can see the benefits but also the possibilities for abuse and am now committed to discover more.

Thanks Granny- I am glad you enjoy my humour.

Seriously, I do not understand what the problem is. A hand full of seed, or a hand full of bread? The bread makes them ill, so what's wrong with the seed ?
People need to use to common sense. It's really not so difficult.

My dad used to eat bread and dripping but we now know it's not good for us, therefore, people don't give it to their children anymore.

Because you cant tell one duck from another and ducks keep reproducing , and because in the main, sick birds hide away to die, its not necessarily going to be visually obvious that endless white bread harms them. But in fact , the more healthy the flock looks, you could argue that thats because theyre all youthful ones - all others popping their bready cloggs after a couple of tourist seasons !

Parks all round the country are taking up the advice , its not just here. Yes they do as a service offer grain at a price , but theres nothing to stop you buying your own more cheaply if you get pleasure from feeding the ducks.