Swans can eat bread according to experts

We often get calls about what to feed wildlife and one question that crops up is can I feed bread to ducks and swans.

The simple answer is yes according to an official statement made by the Queens Swan marker David Barber. While it may not be the best dietary option for them, people have been feeding bread to swans for hundreds of years without any ill effects. There is no good reason not to feed bread to swans, provided it is not mouldy. Most households have surplus bread and children have always enjoyed feeding swans with their parents.

Professor Christopher Perrins, LVO, FRS of the Department of Zoology at Oxford University stated, ‘There is no evidence of a connection between feeding bread and angel-wing; at least some cygnets develop this condition without ever having seen any bread. I therefore encourage members of the public to continue feeding swans to help improve their chances of survival, especially through the winter.”

So there you have it. If you have been confused by all the recent media regarding ‘Ban the Bread’ campaign, the good news is you can keep feeding them with any left over bread from the table and it’ll help them through winter.