wild bird food, harmful??

[The Chicken Lady]

Quote:
Mine did, too. I doubt it causes much harm. I wouldn't use it instead of their regular food, though.

 

[momofdrew]

I use it as a special treat...

Ava get some food quality Diamatious earth from your feed store and scatter it around where she takes her dirt bath and also in her bedding... you could carefully dust her with it also but be careful of her eyes and nose...

also go on search here for DE there are a lot of posts about it....
Pam

 

[max13077]

My girls have a stroke if they don't get their little dixie cup full of sunflower seeds in the morning. If I forget they crowd the pen door, all of them looking at me like I shot the pope.

I read on somebody's page here it helps with feathers and laying eggs. It’s good for them. The love to eat them. Win/win in my book.

 

[cmom]

From another post on another forum.

Chickens do not have teeth. Their food goes, as is, into the crop, where it is slowly funneled into a very small " stomach" for some digestive additives--then to the Gizzard, where it is 'chewed', that is, ground into material that can be digested as it moves into the intestines and so on. The Gizzard is best able to break down whole grains and other chunky bits that they eat when full of grit. Longest lasting grit is Granite, that lasts well. All other rock and stone is so much softer, that it wears down fast and that is why granite grit is best choice, works really well for best utilization of feeds. My baby chicks are given free choice and they choose it with pleasure, baby grit is fine Granite, as soon as they are given anything besides Starter Crumbles. Their tiny gizzards are at optimum function at an early age.

Oyster shells can act as grit to an extent, but young birds who are not laying should not have oyster shell. Grit that is usually granite grit, does the job much better than oyster shell, which really isn't that hard. Grit grinds the Oyster Shell. While the gizzard is an amazingly strong organ, the Grit is a part of its function. Also, if they free range they will eat dirt for grit, but I always have a dish of granite grit and a dish of oyster shells near their food.

Mine have access 24/7 to their food and water. I give them treats of scratch, (oats, whole sunflower seeds, once in awhile wild bird seed, cracked corn etc.), in small quanities as these are treats. I also give them vegies, fruits, most everything that I can grow. I do grow a lot of corn and watermelon especially, also tomatoes, squash, root crops, the list can go on. I feed them everything except potatoes. I figure they will eat what they want. I do free range them. I make sure they have plenty of grit and oyster shells. If you can't find chick grit for the chicks, I take regular granite grit and smash it.

 

[Dorothy1324]

i don't know for sure but a friend of mine with a daughter with sealiacs and can not be around gluten said that she had done some research and that feeding chickens Sunflower seeds and something elce cant remember now though was a ok alternitive diet to the grain which includes gluten so i would say that it would not hurt them any.

 

[DDRanch]

My girls LOVE wild bird food. They get a handful as a special treat and sometimes I will mix it in with their scratch.

Anne

 

[sred98]

Glad to see so many people giving this to their birds! LOL! I saw the topic and my first thought was, "Gosh, I hope not!!!!"

I bought some as a special treat for my girls and they

it! It has safflower, hulled and whole Black oil sunflowers, millet, pumpkin seeds, and dried fruit. I got it mainly because of the dried fruit. My Cornish loves fruit! They go nuts when I put it out. The Cornish stands in the middle of the pile so the OEGB can't get any! LOL!

Shelly