Bananas killing chickens?

[mamaKate]

One day, when I was vitamin shopping, a man started a conversation about why he was buying potassium. He said he'd had such severe muscle cramps (due to the drugs he took) that his heart had cramped up and caused a heart attack. His dr. ordered potassium for prevention. The timing was perfect because I'd been having some really intense cramps myself (no drugs here-just gallons of sweat).The potassium didn't work for me but a daily banana or three did. I always share them with my birds and give them tiny bites.

 

[stormylady]

I give mine bananas too. Ive never heard a banana could hurt ya!I Learn something new everyday! In fact Ive heard it was one of the few perfect foods. Hmmmm,,

 

[mtnhomechick]

I have given mine bananas but I won't anymore. Too risky. There's other treats.

 

[stormylady]

Quote:
Please forgive me my head is throbbing and I can't think straight! I reread a few posts and couldn't find anything about peels. Did I miss something? Mine get 2 peels every day. I have 27 (or so!) birds.

The reason mine haven't gotten the peals is because on the treats list, it says bananas with peal removed. it says the same thing about watermelon too that the rind should be removed but I throw the whole thing in , but thats another subject I guess, but i think i will still give them some of the overripe bananas that I have here.

 

[speckledhen]

To clarify, I've never fed banana peels to the birds, only the actual banana. I'd think if there was pesticide on the peel, that would cause something adverse. It's interesting about the bananas and I'll definitely remember this thread in the future.




Monique, I've since wondered about Hawkeye's death. The TriCare ointment was applied to the comb and wattles and he was fussing with Suede at the fence just afterward. I'm not entirely sure if he just coincidentally had a heart attack or if he was highly sensitive to an ingredient in the ointment. Being applied to those high blood flow areas may have had something to do with it.

 

[EweSheep]

I feed mine with bananas with no ill effects. It is whatever my DD does not finish up. No peels.

Or that roo could have a pre existing condition that was not detected until he died.

 

[HennysMom]

I too have fed my girls ripe bananas since they were little - just gave them a ripe banana yesterday mixed with cottage cheese - they're all still alive. Never heard of bananas killing a bird - of course, I dont feed the peel however and I never feed green bananas, always the overly ripe ones and I always mash them first. The girls love them.

Odd to say the least.

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

My guess is choking on a long piece of peel. The skins do have a very tiny amount of Hydrogen Cyanide (a little more than corn) but, to kill a chicken you would have to feed much more than a chicken could eat (few thousand pounds). Apple seeds have even more but, again not enough to kill the bird unless you are feeding solely apple seeds.

Hehe after this I looked up a study where peels were tested for nutritional value as animal feed and it does have some value although not much.

If you do decide to try feeding peels chop them up small.

 

[CallyB57]

Sad...I never gave my chickens a banana before - I did have an Uncle Gene once that drank a root beer, then a few minutes later he downed a banana and suddenly thought he was having a heart attack - so rushed to hospital and it was just some kind of gastric reaction to the combo.
Anyway..I was thinking a while back of mashing a small piece of banana and adding it to a large pan of oatmeal for a treat. Now...just don't know...

 

[chik magnet]

I've givin my girls and my rooster a whole banana and their still alive . I feed that to them a month ago