Animal charities who dashed to Norton Field Farm to rescue ducks given away by a debt-hit farmer claimed they clashed with restaurateurs who wanted them for food.
Some 3,000 were given away last weekend by Ian Chisholm after a run-in with his supplier left him with insufficient funds to feed them.
Kendra Pinder, of Action Aid for Animals (AAFA), said: "There were people turning up with vans for their restaurants but they were turned away.
"It just puts a sad edge on it really when you have these idiots turning up.
"The main thing is that these people were turned away and that the ducks were all saved."
Animal charities, including Retreat Animal Sanctuary. managed to find new homes for around 700 ducks.
But one person contacted the farm to say they, and others, had been turned away by animal protesters who suspected them of wanting to eat the ducks.
A woman called Kristy emailed Mr Chisholm, saying: "I'm finding the charity staff's behaviour shocking as they took it upon themselves to lie to people approaching your farm because they were convinced we were all planning to eat them.
"I had over an acre of land and a lake for the ducks, I was not planning to eat any of them."
