scubababe Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 Please don't shoot me!! I have read today that you shouldn't give chickens bread. I have given my ladies bread soaked in water with some garlic granules & poultry spice Can I ask why we don't give bread? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redwing Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I'm not sure of the official reasons that some people advise for not feeding it but I'd imagine that in any quantity it could 'stodge' up a hens crop which wouldnt be good A very small amount as a treat every now and again shouldnt hurt though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Phew. I thought I'd done something really wrong...treat it is then Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
surfer_chicken Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I use it to get wormer down them (it soaks up the liquid and they scoff it down as a treat) It shouldn't do them any harm unless it's a regular treat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeky Chooky Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I've given chooks bread in the past but let it dry out first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 I give them stale freeform loaves that we never finish... they usually peck it til its hollow, I figure a quarter of a stale loaf between 9 of them hasn't made them ill so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WitchHazel Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 Bread is absorbent and can soak up the liquid in the crop, causing a blockage. Eaten in large quantities, indivicual pieces can join with other pieces, and swell into a large gloopy mass which is difficult to deal with. (ANyone who has tried to chomp through a whole doughnut quickly (eg trying to get the whoe thing in one's mouth and doing one big swallow to win a competition may recognise this. The damn thing swells up so it's not possible to close mouth or actually swallow. Not that I'm speaking from experience, you understand. I'm sure very stale hard bread which they have to peck at, would be ok in small quantities, as it would ebe difficult for them to eat in a quantity which would swell and join with other bits into a gloopy mass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mercedes55 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 I've never given my girls bread because I was told about the problems of it 'stodging' up their crop. I wouldn't use it to get wormer down them either as I don't think it's a very accurate way of worming them. Also I would imagine bread doesn't really have much nutrition in it for hens. When we want to give our girls a real treat we go to the local fishing shop and buy them a half pint of maggots and they go mad for them. The are full of protein and also help with some crop problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
percy049 Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 We just give them our leftover bread, eg stale bread and the crusts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lindafw Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 mine get a bit of toast for breakfast each day! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolly Posted December 31, 2011 Share Posted December 31, 2011 The only time my lot get bread (and then it's only a tiny quantity) is when they're being given medication - its MUCH easier dropping liquid medication onto small pieces of bread, they hoover it up thinking it's a treat and everyone's happy! It was our vet that recommended this to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 1, 2012 Author Share Posted January 1, 2012 Interestingly it says on the back of my Verm-x to either add to water or soak on bread Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambyglam Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I dont give mine bread as its stupid to give an animal something which has no real nutritional content. Plus I do not eat bread myself for the same reason. The hens however as a treat get some mealworms and a nice savoy cabbage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted January 2, 2012 Share Posted January 2, 2012 I dont give mine bread as its stupid to give an animal something which has no real nutritional content. Plus I do not eat bread myself for the same reason. I wouldn't say it was 'stupid'... and, there is real nutritional value in bread for humans, obviously white, processed, bread has a much lower nutritional value, but brown bread or more specifically a lovely wholegrain/whole-wheat loaf will contain fibre, valuable carbohydrate and protein from hard wheat. Whole grains are a good source of thiamine, and their germ is rich in vitamin E, as well as containing significant amounts of potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc. If you eat too much and stodge yourself up, bread has no nutritional content, but if you eat a small amount of non-processed (read: non supermarket) bread every day, you're getting a lot of good out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubababe Posted January 2, 2012 Author Share Posted January 2, 2012 *shocked* Ambyglam wrote:I dont give mine bread as its stupid to give an animal something which has no real nutritional content. Plus I do not eat bread myself for the same reason. but what do you put your bacon in?? I agree that you wouldn't give your ladies anything of no nutritional value but it's a great way to get Verm-x into them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ambyglam Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Lolllll...all bread is processed no matter what type it is. Yes wholemeal bread contains more husk etc, but if bread was not processed you would be sitting down to a bowl of wheat, so just give them the wheat...the closer to nature your food is, the higher the vitamin and enzyme content. And why would anyone wanna eat bacon....its the closest thing you can eat to human flesh...no thanks lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squiffs Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 Lolllll...all bread is processed no matter what type it is. Yes wholemeal bread contains more husk etc, but if bread was not processed you would be sitting down to a bowl of wheat, so just give them the wheat...the closer to nature your food is, the higher the vitamin and enzyme content. And why would anyone wanna eat bacon....its the closest thing you can eat to human flesh...no thanks lol I was talking about your statement that bread had 'no nutritional value' for humans. It does. And people aren't 'stupid' because they feed their chooks something you don't Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 3, 2012 Share Posted January 3, 2012 As Redwing (and others) said above, the gluten content is the main problem as it will swell in the crop causing a blockage; you're best steering away from any processed, human food in their diet TBH. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
