Should I Feed These Ducks?

[hokankai]

Our school has an area south of campus affectionately known as "The Duck Pond". These ducks were originally wild, but over the years have become more domesticated and a lot more numerous. As such they do not migrate for the winter and choose to hang around the grassy area the pond is kept.

The problem with this is that there really isn't any food there for them. There are at least 50 ducks there and I watch them forage for what looks like nothing. I'm just concerned about them as it's really cold now and there are so many mouths to feed. Do I need to take action or will the population take care of itself? I couldn't tell if any were skinny or not.

 

[BladeDuck]

Well, the campus I went to had the same "Duck Pond" south of campus. They rebuilt walkways around the pond this past summer, perhaps we are talking about the same duck pond. There was always a ton of ducks after the spring time and by the time fall and winter came, only about 30% were there. Ducklings and their moms were always all over campus during the spring term. It was also, obviously, a common dumping ground for unwanted pet ducks. I swear the city or campus does some regulation there with the population because the population dramatically decreases all of a sudden sometimes. The only time I saw dead ducks were ducks that had been hit by cars in the road.

And if we're talking about the same duck pond, there was always bread floating around in the water. We know that's not good for them but people will feed them something regardless. Perhaps campus should put up a friendly, "Bread is not good for my tummy, I sure love lettuce and vegetable scraps though!"

I wouldn't feed them regularly by any means, wild ducks are resourceful and will find somewhere else with more food if they want. The wild mallards at my campus's duck pond would fly in and out from who knows where. If you do feed them, feed them something good for 'em!

 

[hokankai]

Haha perhaps we are talking of the same duck pond! The one I'm talking about is at BYU.

And yeah, I get so tired of seeing people feed them bread bread bread all the time. I was thinking more duck food from a farm store, but perhaps I'll just have to drop by with some lettuce one day and see how they take to it. I've been walking by it everyday and I don't even see ducks on campus anywhere else anymore as they all hang out by the duck pond.

Well I won't worry about it then. I'm sure they'll take care of themselves

 

[desertdarlene]

If they're flying ducks, I wouldn't worry about them as they can fly to find food elsewhere. If they're domestic, then I would maybe bring some healthy food for them once in a while.

 

[hokankai]

They look like mallards to me, but there are a couple random white ducks with reddish shoulders which I'm guessing are throw-away drakes.

What foods are good for me to bring? I've never owned ducks before so I don't know what they like.