feeding bread to chickens

[chickenranch66]

Have been giving my chickens 6 loaves of bread a day along with there corn and chicken feed. I go to bread outlet store.3.00 for 20 to 30 loaves .it really helped the pocketbook in winter.you can heat some water and add coca nut oil and they love it and it's good for them in winter warms them from inside. Anyone else feeding bread .just curious. In Wisconsin. ...

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC! Glad you decided to join our flock. It may help the pocketbook in the short term, but if you're not careful, it can end up costing you in the long term. Treats such as bread and corn should be less than 10% of a chickens total diet. Unlike commercial chicken feeds, these "treats" are not formulated to meet all of a chicken's health and nutritional needs. Too many treats will make them fat and unhealthy. It's the equivalent of us eating potato chips and candy. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. What kind of chickens do you have?

 

[BantamLover21]

Glad you joined us!

X2 on Michael OShay. Bread is great as a treat, but it doesn't serve as a very nutritious, complete feed for chickens.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.

X3 don't feed too many treats! How many chickens do you have? Six loaves seems like a lot to me. Treats should only take up 10% of their daily diet. So try and feed more layer feed than anything else including corn.

 

[Wyandottes7]

Welcome to BYC!

We're glad to have you.

Bread should ideally be more of a treat, not a staple of the diet. It may be especially problematic when fed in combination with other treats and non-commercial chicken feed, such as the corn.

Though, if it has worked well for you, there's no real reason to stop. It's more of a general rule, not something that applies to everyone and every flock.

 

[Kelsie2290]

Hello and Welcome To BYC!

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there and welcome to BYC!

This diet will take it's toll on your birds eventually. Especially the layers. The entire building blocks of life are in an egg. And if the birds are not getting all they need to put these nutrients into their eggs, these things will be drawn out of their bodies, organs and bones. Molting as well causes huge stress on a bird and the dietary requirements are huge to grow in a healthy set of feathers. I know it may be cheap on your wallet, but you are causing great harm to your birds. They are no doubt getting fatty liver on this diet you have them on. So splurge for some decent chicken feed.

 

[sunflour]

 

[nonageri]

What do you base your answer on?
I have Cochins, Frizzles, (bantams) Aracanas and Silkies.. They all love the bread, eat it before their feed...I am using an 18 % starter/grower, scratch, flock raiser, vegetables of all sorts and fruits..from the grocery store toss outs.. Some grocers will sell a box for .50 or so with the greens they trim. Also use my pulled dDndlion s when I find them in the lawn.
From Georgia, either hot or cold..here.....))