Can my flock have freeze dried cantaloupe?

[picklestheduck]

This is a random question but recently someone made freeze dried cantaloupe for me and it’s not my favorite. Wondering if I can crumble it and give it to my chickens and ducks?

 

[saysfaa]

Yes. Or rehydrate it then give it to them.

 

[ChickNanny13]

They'd probably love it, although sparingly as it's a "treat"

 

[picklestheduck]

Ok great thanks!

 

[neo71665]

I would rehydrate it first. Freeze dried food swells up when rehydrated and could give them impacted crop if given to them dry.

 

[PetesChicks]

I would rehydrate it first. Freeze dried food swells up when rehydrated and could give them impacted crop if given to them dry.

I always rehydrate when giving anything freeze dried. I hadn’t really thought of the swelling, just the fact that it is so dry and hard. I had freeze dried blueberries, great in pancakes after rehydrating. When I decided to give some to the girls, I mixed them up with some feed and made mash for them. They loved it.

 

[saysfaa]

Dehydrated will swell but freeze dried is the same size as it is hydrated. Well, by some definition, freeze dried is a form of dehydrated, so other methods of dehydrating usually change size.