can i feed my chickens field rice

[Cindy in PA]

Rice is in many pigeon grain mixes & the pigeons don't explode.

 

[fiberart57]

Wasn't there an issue with rice filling up birds; not exploding in them, but filling them with dense non-nutritious food that doesn't digest easily that caused wedding goers to switch from throwing rice to throwing bird seed?

I think cooked rice is a better option.

Mary

 

[A.T. Hagan]

This is paddy rice with the hull, bran, and germ still intact. Not bad nutrition wise (as opposed to polished white rice) and perfectly safe for birds.

.....Alan.

 

[bock]

Based on people's replies I recomend you stay away from rice!

 

[adubsroit]

I'm not sure how ALL birds process rice but the stories that rice will expand and thus cause a bird to explode is an urban legend. I have always been told that if you ask any person who cultivates rice that birds are in fact their biggest pest. The second the rice hits their stomach it is being digested. Yes, DRIED rice is not a natural food choice for birds in the wild, but we also feed them dired corn which can just easily expand.

Chances are the only way you're going to have exploding birds is if you don't feed your birds at all and then allow them to gorge themselves on mass amounts of uncooked rice and then offer warm water to drink. Plus, last I checked, in all the areas that grew rice as a main crop you never hear of rice (cooked or not) killing birds..

 

[flowerchild59]

It would be fine as a supplement to their food. It is a whole food with the germ, bran and all of that stuff intact. I am sure wild birds and geese are out there in that field having a blast. They would grind it in their gizzard without any problem.