Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Do Not Feed the Ducks!

They are cute...especially the little ones. But they can be a nuisance for home owners and business owners. We are talking about ducks.

In recent years hundreds of mallards have taken up permanent residence in Ocracoke village. Although mallards are protected as migratory waterfowl, these critters are in no hurry to go anywhere, at least not as long as people feed them.

Please Do Not Feed the Ducks!

Feeding them is not good for the ducks...it is not good for residents & visitors...and it is not good for Ocracoke. Feeding the ducks, thereby interrupting their natural migratory instincts, leaves the ducks vulnerable to parasites, disease and death by automobiles. They are much healthier, and live longer, in the wild.

Here is some excellent information from Duck Arm-Y:

"Feeding native ducks is not necessary. They have wings and can fly to find food. Bread and other processed food kills ducks. They die of disease and malnutrition. Lettuce is NOT an appropriate food for ducks. ...A fed duck is a DEAD duck.

"Wild ducks need to eat the green foods that grow naturally in their environment in order to maintain good health and a normal lifespan. Their ability to fly and retain natural instincts for survival depends entirely on the foods they eat. By feeding wild (or dumped domestic ducks) you are contributing to their early death, shortening their lives ten-fold.

"Ducks can literally starve to death if they are fed bread. Bread has no nutritional value for a duck. It is like a human eating cardboard. It fills them up so they don’t look for real food. They die of malnutrition."

For more information, click here: http://outerbanksvoice.com/2016/04/17/ocracoke-group-says-no-to-euthanizing-ducks-crowding-town/.

This month's Ocracoke Newsletter is Allie (Teenie) Scott's 1968 story of Simon Garrish, Jr. and the US Life-Saving horse, Sambo. You can read it by clicking here: www.villagecraftsmen.com/news042116.htm.


  1. Anonymous5:15 PM

    we have to deal with mallards and the filthy Canada geese. these animals are out of control. remember the effects of ddt on the eagle eggs...well that concept should be applied to Canada geese. they mess up piers, chairs, lawns, streets, benches. we are under their control - it shoul dbe the other way around. nasty filthy animals that strut around and leak wherever they want. it should be open season on them year around. whoever feels differently has never had to deal with them.

  2. Anonymous4:56 PM

    you stated that ducks can starve to death if fed bread. Thank you for that information. We have covered our yard with all the bread crumbs that we could find. We want to do are part in regaining a clean yard. come and get it Mr. Duck.