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Vending machine for ducks to tackle bread feeding

Chris Gee
Local Democracy Reporting Service
LDRS Wooden vending unit with green sign saying Duck feeder and another sign saying Thank you for not feeding the ducks bread.LDRS
Visitors to Burrs Country Park can now pay £1 to dispense a handful of duck food

A special vending machine for feeding ducks appropriate food has been installed in a park after complaints the birds are becoming ill due to people feeding them bread.

It follows a request from volunteers at Burrs Country Park in Bury, Greater Manchester, who have reminded people that bread is bad for ducks' health and the quality of their water.

The new solar-powered machine, supplied by the Feed The Ducks Initiative, offers £1 portions of healthier alternatives such as barley, oats, peas and chopped lettuce.

Bury councillor Alan Quinn said the council was "delighted" to support the scheme, adding: "Don't let it be said that we duck the big decisions."

"Everyone likes to feed the ducks and this initiative will help ensure that the birds are getting a healthy diet," he said.

The national Feed The Ducks Initiative has been working with local authorities across the country to install the vending machines in a push to reduce bread feeding.

Geograph/David Dixon Pink flowers and shrubs next to the river, which has green algae blooming on it. There are former mill workers' cottages in the backdropGeograph/David Dixon
Burrs Country Park is a popular destination for walkers in Bury

It has pledged to maintain and replenish them with necessary foods.

Users can pay £1 to dispense a handful of duck food, with 90% of costs going towards the initiative's running costs and the remainder going to the Friends of Burrs Country Park group to help fund events and park maintenance.

A sign on the machine states: "Bread makes ducks ill and does not contain the right nutrition or calories that they need to grow or keep warm.

"Rotting bread pollutes the water and cause nasty surface algae, which kills wildlife and gives ducks diseases."

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