However, they do not know your chickens. Observe them when giving them the food. If they get sick after eating new food, it is likely a sign that you need to withdraw the treat. We have established that chickens can eat bread. Furthermore, we have discussed how to make it safe for consumption. So, what about the baby chicks? Your chicks could also eat bread. However, I should emphasize that bread barely has any protein, a nutrient highly needed by your chicks.
Make sure you take extra care when giving chicks treats. Give them smaller pieces and lesser amounts of it. Remember, chicks should mostly stay on starter feed until the 6th week. Here are some treats that could be an alternative to bread. On the other hand, you could just add these treats to their growing list of chicken treats. Mealworms — This one is undoubtedly one of the crowd favorites.
Chickens would most probably love this treat. It is also a great way to boost their protein intake. Maggots — This one is one of the cheaper options.
If you have any rotting food, then you would most likely find maggots. Give this to your chickens, and they would immediately gobble it up! Earthworms — If you let your chickens free-range, then they would have most probably eaten some earthworms already. You do not have to worry.
Your chickens could safely consume earthworms. Furthermore, it is healthy for them. As you might have already noticed, bugs are safe for your chickens. If you are looking to give more high-protein treats to your chickens, you can let them free-range. This activity will let them find some healthy high-protein treats on their own.
Also, we are pretty sure they will love the pastime. Egg — I know it sounds weird or maybe even a little freaky. That is also one of my initial reactions. However, eggs are also a high-protein treat you can give them. Just do not give them raw eggs! The raw egg might cause mayhem on your coop.
Your chickens might figure out where the raw eggs come from, and you probably know where that would lead. Chicken — If you thought eggs were already freaky, then I am not sure how to describe this one. However, yes, cooked chicken is also a way to give your live chickens a high-protein treat. One of the main concerns about giving chickens bread is that this food barely contains any protein. You might be wondering how essential this nutrient is.
Protein is vital in the growth and development of chickens. Furthermore, as we have already said, your chickens need more of it during molting season. It is also a good idea to give them some extra protein whenever they are in a stressful situation. Protein is also a nutrient to note when it comes to egg production. You can also consider soaking it in water before feeding them. Unfortunately, bread is high in carbs and does not contain many healthy nutrients essential for your flock.
Whole wheat bread will have higher amounts of fiber, while the Power Seed Organic Bread will contain more protein than white bread. But it is a highly absorbent food. When your chicken eats bread and follows it up with water before the bread has moved into the proventriculus, it will absorb the water and expand inside the crop. When this happens, the crop expands with it and presses on the esophagus.
Crop impaction occurs when your chickens eat something that they cannot easily pass through their digestive tract. When your chicken consumes food, the first stop it makes is into the crop, which temporarily stores food before moving into the chicken equivalent of a stomach, the proventriculus. Typically, crop impaction is more likely to be caused by your chicken eating a lot of fibrous foods like tall grass. However, foods that expand in size when your chickens drink water could also lead to crop impaction.
If impaction of the crop is left untreated, the food in the crop will eventually go bad, causing bacteria to build up and create a sour smell. Aside from causing issues early on in the digestive tract by potentially causing an impacted crop, it can also cause further digestive issues. As you know, bread is made from wheat. Since these starches are harder to digest, it slows down their digestion. The starch can present a problem for your chicken and become a food source for gut bacteria to grow out of balance in the digestive tract.
Where hens have access to garden plants, including pulled weeds, make sure none of them are poisonous to chickens. A weed lawn instead of a monoculture lawn is recommended for free-range hens.
Clean water must of course always be readily available and, in colder months, make sure any ice preventing access to water is cleared each morning. Water containers are best placed so that hens do not have to bend down to access them. If you notice any changes in your birds feeding behaviour or appetite you should consult a veterinarian. To read more about keeping your hens happy and healthy click here. For example, in Queensland under the Biosecurity Act swill feeding of poultry is banned.
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