day old bread

[wine for chicks]

Hello chicken people..lol I have a new love in my life and they have feathers.. but I live on a fixed income..and my friend said that I could feed day old bread...So I have this in mind, but don't want to over feed or hurt them from laying. So I need a strong hand on this ...CAN I FEED THEM DAY OLD BREAD, AND HOW MUCH IS SAFE . THANK YOU

 

[chisNchickens]

I wouldn't feed white bread period. White bread is basically empty calories. Not good for you either. Now nice, whole wheat or multi-grain would be good for treats or possibly up to a third of the daily intake - depending on if it is good, grainy bread and they free range for a good part of the diet. Just keep in mind that white flour (which is in a lot of cheaper wheat breads in greater quantity) is treat only.

 

[Nicole01]

I would stick to poultry feed. Luckily, a 50# bag is very inexpensive. Chickens need the proper amount of calcium and nutrients to lay normal eggs. I've read there are several problems with egg laying if not fed properly. I'd skip the bread all together. I give my girls sunflower seeds, fruit(applesauce,watermelon,apples,musk melon,ect), peanuts, dried oats as a treat. They mainly are fed feed to ensure proper nutrients. Good luck.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Day old bread is fine. It's wheat and chickens can eat wheat.

However, it is not a balanced diet so should be fed more as a treat and not the main menu. If you get the bread super cheap, you can use it to slightly reduce the amount of poultry feed you give every day.

You can also pull young grass and tender broad leaf weeds for the birds and that will slightly reduce the amount of feed they eat every day.

If you want to catch bugs or dig worms, those are excellent food for chickens.