Bread or grain should not be fed. This feeding leads to a lack of crude fiber, which can cause the digestive organs to shrink, change the intestinal flora and cause inflammation in the intestines. In addition, deficiency diseases can occur due to insufficient levels of amino acids, vitamins and minerals in the animals. Young wild waterfowl should never be fed because they are particularly susceptible to all the problems listed and nutritional deficiencies can occur.

Feeding the animals produces additional excrement. These and the food residues sink to the bottom of the water and decompose there. The biochemical processes involved in this decomposition consume large quantities of oxygen, which other aquatic organisms lack. The nutrients released can cause algae to proliferate and the body of water to "tip over". This means that the lake or pond is no longer in biological balance. This problem can be seen year after year in the shallow water basins of the Reisinger facility.

If you still want to feed them, you should only do so rarely and with species-appropriate food, for example wheat grains or lettuce. The amount of food should be very small - half a handful at most. In addition, the food should be offered in small, beak-sized portions and a few meters away from the water so that nothing is left lying around. This should only be done in places where feeding is permitted and less problematic (e.g. large rivers). Feeding young waterfowl must be completely avoided. In Wiesbaden, feeding is prohibited in all standing water in green areas in order to protect these sensitive habitats for wild animals.

Content support: Oliver Weirich, graduate biologist, bird protection officer for the district-free city of Wiesbaden.