What to Feed Ducks Instead of Bread

The short answer: good swaps for bread include floating duck pellets, oats, birdseed, sweetcorn, thawed frozen peas, torn lettuce and plain rice. Offer small amounts in bite-sized pieces, and stop when the ducks lose interest.

Floating duck pellets

An easy option. Pellets made for waterfowl give ducks a real meal, and floating ones stay on the surface, right where ducks feed. Duck Feeder comes in a resealable 5 lb bag: zip it shut and keep it somewhere cool and dry for the next walk.

Kitchen swaps the experts suggest

The Canal & River Trust, which looks after canals and rivers across England and Wales, suggests these instead of bread:

• Oats: rolled oats or instant porridge oats.
• Seeds: birdseed, or plain seeds from the grocery store.
• Sweetcorn: canned (drained), frozen or fresh.
• Frozen peas: no need to cook them, but thaw them first.
• Lettuce: torn into small pieces. Leftover bagged salad works.
• Rice: plain, cooked or uncooked. Never seasoned or fried.

Ducks don’t chew, so keep every piece small.

What to skip

• Bread, crackers, chips and other snacks made for people.
• Leftovers like fries and pizza crusts.
• Anything moldy, salty or seasoned.
• Big piles. A little at a time is plenty.

How much is enough?

Toss a small handful, let the ducks finish it, and keep going only while they’re interested. When they drift off, you’re done. Don’t leave food behind on the bank or in the water, because uneaten food is what draws rats and dirties the pond.

Pack a better basket

Keep everything you love about feeding the ducks: the walk to the pond, the kids and grandkids, the basket. Just fill it with floating food made for ducks, geese and swans, and zip the resealable 5 lb bag shut for next time.