Can Chickens eat Bread? 

Can Chickens eat Bread?

Most people innocently feed chickens bread without knowing whether it is good or bad for their birds. So, can chickens eat bread? Unfortunately, bread is unsafe for chickens, and the chickens’ digestive system is not designed to break down the bread. In this article, we will discuss why giving bread to chickens is a bad idea.

Why should Chickens never consume Bread?

We have answered this question: Can chickens eat bread? But now we will give reasons why bread is bad for chickens.

Bread can cause choking hazards in Chickens

Like other bird species, such as ducks, chickens crave bread. If you offer seeded or brown bread to chickens, they won’t stop eating it. That said, poultry bread is bad for chickens, as it can get stuck in their throats and choke them.

Dry bread will expand in the chicken’s mouth, so if the chicken eats a big piece, it will get stuck in her throat.

 However, apart from the throat, bread can also block the crop, and the crop is the beginning stage of the chicken’s digestive procedure.  Even if you plan on giving chickens bread, you must slice it into small pieces.

Bread has a low Protein content

The bread offers little to no nutritional benefits to chickens and other bird species. Chickens require a high protein content for their development. 

While you can give bread as a treat to your chickens, it lacks the protein that the chickens need. Typically bread slices only consist of two to three grams of protein, which is insufficient to help the chickens grow.

Bread can cause dangerous fermentation in a chicken’s body

Bread is full of sugar and yeast and can ferment in the crop, elevating the bread’s PH content. If the chicken eats too much bread, it will change the microbiome, such as the bacteria that naturally grow in the crop and gizzard.  This can lead to chronic sour crop cases that are nearly impossible to treat.

Reduce Eggshell quality

Aside from having a low protein content, bread also has a low calcium content, and chickens require calcium to produce eggs. Feeding your chickens a high quantity of bread regularly will make them feel fuller and consume less quality feed. 

While offering a few bread pieces will not harm the chickens, bread should never become the main course. Without enough calcium and protein, eggshells become brittle, making it tough to handle the eggs.

Is there a safe way to feed Chickens bread?

bread

If you still plan on giving your chickens bread pieces, here is what you must do:

Pick the right variety of Bread

You should always pick bread varieties that have a good quantity of protein, such as:

  • Sprouted grain bread (12 to 15 grams of protein)
  • Multi-grain bread (9 to 19 grams of protein)
  • Oat bread (6 grams of protein)

Only use bread as a treat

While giving a few pieces of bread to chickens is fine, it is best to give chickens bread as an occasional treat. Here are some bread treats that you can give to the chickens:

Mashed Bread

You can offer your chickens mashed bread on a warm day. Add the bread to the chickens’ regular feed, and then add hot water. Mix all the ingredients well.

DIY Chicken Bread

Make a bread loaf specifically for chickens. Take flour that has all the essential nutrients, such as multi-grain and wholewheat. 

Conclusion

In this article, we focused on whether can chickens eat bread? Bread in large quantities is not safe for chickens. However, there are some ways you can still give bread to the chickens, but it should be an occasional treat for the birds.

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