Chicken keepers sometimes give their feathered friends bread crusts or stale loaf ends as treats, but it’s essential to remember that bread does not provide the essential nutrients your hens require.
Furthermore, feeding your chickens bread can cause them issues such as choking on it or blocking their crop. Dry bread expands when swallowed, so wetting the slice before giving it to them is recommended.
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It’s Not Safe for Baby Chicks
Though you may be tempted to feed your baby chicks bread, think twice. Although it isn’t toxic for chickens, it doesn’t offer them much nutritional value so instead provide them with a balanced diet consisting of chicken feed, greens and bugs for essential protein and nutrients.
Overfeeding bread to your pet may not be a wise idea, as it slows their digestion process and may even result in an impacted crop that could result in serious illness or death.
Overfeeding your hens with bread can deplete their calcium levels, potentially impacting their egg quality in the long run. A calcium deficit will result in poor-quality eggs and eggshell quality.
It’s Not Safe for Adult Chickens
Chickens often scratch around in mud and dirt when they feel hungry. This behavior is an instinctive response that allows them to search for worms and bugs.
No matter your hens’ fondness for digging, it is best to limit their scavenging to a minimum. The dust they stir up can contain harmful microorganisms that could negatively impact your birds’ wellbeing.
Dry bread can be a serious choking hazard for chickens, as it has the potential to expand when swallowed. This could result in your hen becoming very ill.
When giving your chickens dry bread, make sure it is broken into bite-size pieces or moistened first. Not only can bread present a choking hazard for your feathered friends, but it may also obstruct their throats and stomachs.
An alternative to bread is a grain treat that’s high in protein and contains seeds or vegetables. This will be much healthier for your chickens during molting season, when they need extra nourishment to produce new feathers for winter.
It’s Not Safe for Older Chickens
As chickens age, they become more vulnerable to health issues such as parasites, sore beaks and an unhealthy digestive tract.
Bread is one of the foods that can exacerbate this problem. Wheat contains starches which may be difficult for chickens to digest and its sponge-like consistency may lead them to choke on it.
Blockages or “sour crops” can occur, leading to a problem as harmful bacteria and other microscopic life may grow in the affected area of the crop.
Older hens often have compromised reproductive systems, which may affect their capacity for producing eggs. Therefore, it’s essential to monitor their health as they age.
Generally, it’s best to avoid giving bread to your chickens unless it is used as a treat or light supplemental feed. If you must give them bread, opt for whole grain varieties.
It’s Not Safe for the Crop
Bread is a popular food choice for chickens, but it may not be the healthiest choice for them. Since bread contains little-to-no nutritional value for your birds, limit their exposure to small amounts.
Before offering bread to your chickens, break it up into small pieces. This makes digestion easier and prevents the bread from expanding during their crop stage of digestion.
Additionally, bread can help minimize the chance that your chickens will experience a choking incident from it. Due to its sponge-like texture, large pieces may be difficult for them to swallow if not moistened beforehand.
Excess yeast and sugar in bread can ferment the crop, raising its pH level and altering the bacteria that reside in your chicken’s gizzard and crop. This can lead to chronic cases of sour crops that are hard to remedy.
