Yes or no to bread? (1 Viewer)

[Suzy]

Is it a good or a bad thing to feed bread to birds? I always soak it in water first,but I am never sure if I am doing the right thing.

Thanks

Sue

 

[scampo]

I seem to recall an earlier thread on this and that the general view (and I think we had some expert comment, too) was it's okay to feed birds bread. Bread is sterile so the yeast in it is inactived. I think soaking it is a good idea, but I never do.

 

[humminbird]

There was a previous thread which I contributed to and I got the very opposite feeling. IMHO, NO.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[scampo]

There was a previous thread which I contributed to and I got the very opposite feeling. IMHO, NO.

Mark
Bastrop, TX

I think there was some dissension but... bread is made from virtually 100% grain along with a very little fat. Many birds eat grains. In a lifetime of helping birds to survive, I can't help feeling (it is just a feeling based on experience) that feeding them bread is not a problem - especially if soaked beforehand (i.e. rendering it not liable to swelling - but even then, birds generally drink freely and hold their food in their crop).

 

[timmyjones]

I rareley feed bread as it just fills birds up with little nutritional value

 

[humminbird]

Excellent point Timmy. As to the other comments, all I can say is look at the list of ingredients in most commercial breads today (at least in the US and Canada).

Mark
Bastrop, TX

 

[scampo]

I rareley feed bread as it just fills birds up with little nutritional value

Complex carbohydrates are what keep birds going, I would say. Vitamin B and D are there, too, along with a string of micro-nutrients.

Considering half the human world lives on a diet mainly of rice - a similar complex carbohydrate - it seems odd to dismiss bread in this way.

 

[Marian James]

Bread(or let them eat cake!)

Is it a good or a bad thing to feed bread to birds? I always soak it in water first,but I am never sure if I am doing the right thing.

Thanks

Sue

Hi Sue,
I think bread is OK, especially wholemeal. crumbed. However as they say, one cannot live by bread alone-
I feed, nuts,whole in feeders, and crushed in a liquidizer on tables,black sunflower seeds also in feeder, but in my garden all types of birds go mad for digestive biscuits crumbled-they get through at least four large packets a week. Luckily we have a cut price store nearby
happy watching
Marian

 

[Suzy]

Thamks for all your comments everyone.

Marian... I was surprised that you feed biscuits,I would never have thought of that. Is the high sugar content not a problem for Birds then?

Sue

 

[Kevin Mac]

No. Feed seeds- way more nutrition. Imagine people reading this and telling their friends bread is OK, then they feed the birds Wonder bread (shudder!!).
In case you don't have Wonder bread in the UK, it's an eternally bleached tasteless grain by-product in the "bread" category that some people actually feed to their children.

 

[Blackstart]

From what I know, bread can gum up a bird's crop and cause problems.

Better to feed seed, cracked corn, or nothing at all.

-Adam

 

[Craftycarver]

I feed my squad mixed grains, fat balls, and peanuts, whole in a feeder, and crushed on a table, I always have fresh water near by, if I get caught out, I crush Digestive biscuits and mix them with crushed Ryvita, everything is cleaned up smartly, no fatalitys, yet.I may feed a small amount of crumbled wholemeal bread. Do you think I should change anything?

Slainte..........Craftycarver

 

[Suzy]

I just wanted to point out that when I asked my question, my intention wasn't to feed the Birds with nothing else but bread. I do already put out mixed wild bird seed,nuts(from a feeder)and sunflower seeds. I asked about the bread because if I have any left over then I would prefer not to throw it away if the Birds could get benefit from it.

Thanks again

Sue

 

[Jos Stratford]

I just wanted to point out that when I asked my question, my intention wasn't to feed the Birds with nothing else but bread. I do already put out mixed wild bird seed,nuts(from a feeder)and sunflower seeds. I asked about the bread because if I have any left over then I would prefer not to throw it away if the Birds could get benefit from it.

Thanks again

Sue

If I had kids, I probably wouldn't feed them on 100% bread and do not do so with birds, but (as with Sue) I have an assortment of feeders - sometimes up to 20 - with seed, sunflower, fat, peanuts, etc and certainly don't think throwing out left over bread is going to cause any problems.


Never heard of that 'Wonder bread', but likewise wouldn't give that to my imaginary kids either ...and certainly wouldn't eat it myself ...so the birds won't be getting that shoved down their throats!

 

[snowyowl]

I put out a little leftover bread when it's available (generally of the flax seed variety). My observation is that 90% is taken by the crows with the rest going to the Blue Jays. Considering what birds pick-up at dumps and in parking lots and seem to thrive, I can't see that bread in moderation would hurt them.

 

[Euan Buchan]

Bread seems ok my next door neighbour does that & I see lots of Crows on their lawn usually can get Gulls on the lawn when I try it don't usually do it unless we have some lefdtovers from BBQas we throw them on the lawn

 

[helenol]

Moderation is the key for me. I rarely throw out bread, and if I do, it's put up on the bank where the pheasants and deer are, and it's usually a multigrain variety of some sort. The birds in the garden would probably turn their "nose" up at it, since they are used to mealworms and sunflower hearts!

 

[Tammie]

I put out a little leftover bread when it's available (generally of the flax seed variety). My observation is that 90% is taken by the crows with the rest going to the Blue Jays. Considering what birds pick-up at dumps and in parking lots and seem to thrive, I can't see that bread in moderation would hurt them.

I agree with you Dan. If I throw bread peices (small, broken up) out on the back lawn once in a while, only certain species are interested in it and those are crows, ravens, blue jays and gray jays. At this time of year, grackles and starlings are also interested but no small song birds ever take any.

 

[s.g.]

NO bread in my opinion, white is just rubbish, even some brown is white with colour added. as a last resort multi-grain may be of some use but i still never do.
especially no bread when they are feeding young.

S. G.

 

[jimtfoto]

When we're out birding, we generally carry wild bird seed. This after noticing signs at some wildlife refuges and conservation areas that specifically request visitors not feed bread to the birds.

cheers,
jim