# Feeding wild ducks at community ponds



## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I was up at highland Glenn with Shasta this afternoon, doing a little training. There were three pairs of mallards on the pond, and a couple of women there feeding them. I assume that they were feeding them bread. I couldn't help but wonder if feeding the ducks was doing more harm than good. My concern was that these well meaning people were turning the wild ducks into tame park ducks, and in turn, limiting their ability to survive in the wild. Every spring, there are at least a dozen white ducks that are released on this pond. They interbreed with the wild mallards that decide to stay (last year there were 6 or 8 pair) where the feed was provided for them. Most of the ducklings that were hatched were hybrids, and I never saw any of them fly. The ducks never survive the winter. They are either rounded up by the city employees, or starve or freeze to death due to their inability to migrate south form the winter. Have there been any studies to determine the effect that feeding at these community ponds has on the wild duck populations?


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## Loke (Sep 7, 2007)

I got this link off of Gundog forum. It confirms my suspicions. 
http://www.liveducks.com/bread.html


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

2 years ago I saw a hybrid mallard that a guy killed at OB, it came flying in like a coot to their spread. So some of the hybribs can fly, though not very well. I wouldn't figure that domestic breed ducks would do very good with Utah's hard winters, so people feeding those might not be the worst thing for those ducks. 

The ducks and geese in the city ponds of Clinton and Clearfield fly out west to the fields along the lake every day to feed; I see them as they pass over my house. I know people who go feed the waterfowl on those ponds, it still doesn't stop those ducks from going to feed naturally.


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

We've got hybrids and wild ducks at the apartments... they all fly in and out all day long, with no issues, other than the suzie who flew smack into the side of the pool house and walked off shaking her head. :lol: Had geese on the apartment roof the other day...


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## shotgunwill (May 16, 2008)

Has anyone been to Beus pond up by Weber State, now that is just ridiculous!! Or any hole with water in North Ogden. I can't tell you how many times I have seen wood duck up at Weber State!!


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