Wild Swans/Ducks - Kibbled Maize & Layers Pellets - can they be made to float easily?

DMF235-Belfast · #1 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 11:35 AM

Hello all, took a walk round a rather frozen Hillsborough Park lake yesterday with probably a few pounds of layers pellets and kibbled maize. Now while they ate it ok (heck even a robin or 4 and a wee blackbird decided to try it) I get the feeling they are just to used to bread and it took them a while to get after it. Now as it sank I had to either aim for the Ice "plates" on the water or stay close to the bank which I'm pretty sure your supposed to avoid. Though its not as big an issue as with bread.

I know Chapelwood do a feed that floats but its dear at around £5 per kilo so I was wondering anyone ever mix into anything - was thinking like an oatmeal dough or biscuit to make it float and preferably still make it something that the seagulls dont chase after

Cheers

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 11:58 AM

The dabblers and divers should get to it ok. The swans have a long neck for the job, so the fact that you've taken the time, effort and money to feed them is great. It's got to be better for them than bread I should think.

solus · #3 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 02:11 PM

If you look at the special Duck and Swan food available from certain well-known wildlife/bird-feed places it is actualy meant to sink: "Developed in association with the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust. Far healthier than bread this balanced food contains everything needed by ducks, swans and geese. Please note: this food does not float."

DMF235-Belfast · #4 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 02:18 PM

Cheers..but this stuff is

http://www.greenfingers.com/supersto...=LS5804D&co=fr

I think being a tourist spot they are rather used to bread (decent stuff and absolute xexexexe hence the place being full of seagulls and just didnt auto go after it - though the lake was pretty frozen maybe the cold affected the decisions...

solus · #5 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 02:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMF235-Belfast

Cheers..but this stuff is

Chapelwood Duck and Swan Food 1.1kg

That's twice the price of CJ's!

RoyW · #6 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 03:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMF235-Belfast

Cheers..but this stuff is

Chapelwood Duck and Swan Food 1.1kg

The question that I'd ask is whether this feed is made to float because that's what the wildfowl want - or is it because that's what the people the company wants to buy it think that the wildfowl want?

Other than Shoveler (which are fairly specialised surface feeders, 'sieving' small organisms from the water), ducks and geese don't naturally rely on floating food - they are adapted to take food that sinks to the bottom.

Jonathan · #7 (**permalink**) 29-11-2010, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoyW

The question that I'd ask is whether this feed is made to float because that's what the wildfowl want - or is it because that's what the people the company wants to buy it think that the wildfowl want?

Yep. To be honest, at that price it sounds like a complete rip-off. You could buy a 25kg sack of mixed corn for less than the price of 2kg of the 'Duck & Swan Food'. Throw the grain in fairly shallow water (less than 18") and the dabbling duck will simply upend to feed. Tufted duck and other diving duck will - unsurprisingly - dive for it! It also stops other birds and rats from eating it.

Cheers
Jonathan

DMF235-Belfast · #8 (**permalink**) 30-11-2010, 07:51 AM

Well i've got about 20kg of each so I'm hoping they get more used to it by then,

cheers for the feedback though, the problem with up there is that apart from the angled concrete path/embankment (which only goes a foot or 2 into the water) it looks like it gets quite deep. So I was hoping to encourage them away from the bank for hygiene/safety reasons not have them feeding of the bank...ah well see how it goes

DMF235-Belfast · #9 (**permalink**) 05-12-2010, 07:08 PM

Hello all, just thought I'dgive a wee update...they are taking it muh better now...been up with them friday (early afternoon so not many people there) and the same today and yesterday. In my opinion the Kibbled Maize is more popular with the swans, ducks and coots, infact it appears to be the only 1 of the 2 (layers pellets being the other) that the cygnets will really touch.

On Friday I arrived up after having taken a halfer, and after realising that good food was on the go the ducks were up over the bank and up on the path within feet of me and i was like give me a chance lads. On sat I even brought up some of the cheap PAH bird seed that I had and they wolfed that down to.

I think they might be having a fairly hard time at the minute...there not that much of the lake left unfrozen... and with fewer passers by they are mostly all nea r the main entrance now and most people just throw them them bread which is mostly picked up by the gulls/ducks...theres just too many in a small place...must be 1-2 dozen swans including cygnets, several dozen ducks and a fair few seagulls, I must be down to 50% of the sacks already

DMF235-Belfast · #10 (**permalink**) 12-12-2010, 09:41 PM

Hello all, quick question on the Swans, normally up there the swans are usually reasonably spread out and ateast 2 groups. Now they are still holed up near the front there is a fair bit of Swan and duck "nibbling" going on. one swan will take a fair grip of the back of the neck of another and only lets go when its swam away a bit, is this a inter-group hierarchy thing or a group border dispute thing? the ducks seem to do a similar thing with tails but they seem to be mainly different species

cheers