bread for birds , rice and duck feed

[Guest guest]

Birds can certainly choke to death on wads of bread. If feeding bread,

the pieces should be torn small and spread around so the same bird

isn't ingesting all of it. It is also true that the bread is like

candy. It is not nutritious and some birds will eat it exclusively when

possible leading to malnutrition.

 

I don't particulary like feeding the gulls bread. Bu it's one of those

good memories from childhood that a parent likes to share with a child.

I wouldn't do it regularly but it is one of those things that I have

chosen to teach my daughter about rather than fight with my husband. He

is right in that everyone does it and what he feeds to the birds is

likely highly insignificant, especially since they won't eat more than

half the time. We live about 20 minutes from a tourist beach and the

gulls will take food from your hands without permission. They are

already habituated and we can't change that. In fact, there are so many

of them they have migrated to our neighborhood and will fly after you

in parking lots looking for food.

 

DD and I are feeding native birds appropriately at home and we talk

about what birds eat in real life. There are also geese down the road.

I will let her feed them after the owner has put out feed so I know

they won't engorge on the bread. (We do have permission, of course.)

 

I believe someone asked what to feed back yard birds? Try organic

seeds and mixtures from http://www.wildwingsorganic.com/about.html

There are likely other organic seeds out there. Also, look up the

natural diet of your native birds and feed them from your kitchen. I

put various nuts, seeds, grains like millet and berries from the HFS

out for our birds. And I feed the squirrels too. I also share the top

of my fruit trees with the birds, collecting only from the bottom.

Certain food is better for different seasons. And remember, if you feed

during migration, keep it up all winter - some stragglers will remain

if food is plentiful.

 

Chandelle, the same advice goes for the ducks. They eat grasses and

other vegetation as well as insects so consider trying a few greens to

see what they like. Some people say they eat " garbage " meaning anything

a human will eat (and thus leftovers go in trash). I am sure there are

certain plants that are toxic to them but I don't know which ones.

Also, you can get Duck Chow (no kidding). Mazuri is Purina's

premium/zoo brand and you can read about it here

http://www.mazuri.com/Shop/Products/Products.asp?

animal=waterfowl & Products=2

 

ZuPreem is another premium brand. I don't know if they have duck feed.

When I interned in a zoo, all the animals were fed tons of human

quality food. After feeding was over, pelleted type feed was put out

for munching on later. So, just feed from your kitchen.

 

There are many birds that naturally eat rice from the fields. These

birds don't explode. This is just a myth. In fact, birds can be so

devastating to the agriculture in these areas that certain birds are

not legal to own there. (This is one of the reasons you are supposed to

get a health certificate when taking your pet across state line. So you

can leave behind illegal ones. If confiscated after the fact, they will

be put down. This really happens.)

 

HTH,

Carrol

 

 

, Paul Falvo <pfalvo wrote:

>

> Don't feed bread to birds please ... it can swell up with water and

hurt

> their stomachs. Can even cause injury, if I recall correctly.

> ~Paul

>

>