Is it possible to feed birds with rice and other cereals
Parents from an early age try to bring up a wonderful trait in their children - love and a desire to come to the aid of our smaller brothers. The easiest step in this matter is to build an uncomplicated feeder and treat birds from time to time. However, do the adults themselves know how to properly carry out this assistance, so as not to harm the birds? Let's take a look at this interesting and at the same time difficult question.
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Can rice be fed to birds in feeders
One of the budget products that almost every home has is cereals. Most often, it is with her that birds are fed. But Is every grain good for them? After all, doing good, it is important to observe a number of rules and take into account the peculiarities of the life of the wards.
Can I give raw / boiled rice
Many bird watchers have noticed that rice is most often found in street feeders. Raw or heat-treated. Do birds eat it? Yes but it is absolutely impossible to do this! Rice tends to swell with moisture. Once in a bird's tiny stomach, the seeds can cause suffering.
Is it possible to pour other cereals into the feeder
Other common cereals are dangerous for birds, for example, buckwheat and barley... They have similar properties to rice and expand in a humid environment. Oatmeal and millet (unrefined millet) are considered harmless. They are sold at all pet stores.
Note! Millet is part of a special cereal mixture for birds.
What is the best way to feed birds in feeders
Specialists recommend buying food rich in vegetable fat, such as rapeseed and flax... From more budget options - raw pure sunflower seeds (seeds). The birds will eat them without a trace and will be satisfied.
Approximate "healthy food menu" of street birds:
- Lard (interior fat). It should be raw, never smoked, salted or peppery. Raw lard helps the birds stay full for a long time due to the calorie content and nutritional value. It is not necessary to grind it, it is enough to hang a piece by a wire. Then it will be convenient for the birds to sit on it and peck in small portions.
- Coconut and unsalted butter are very good food for insectivorous birds (great tits, nuthatches, blue tit, blackbirds, etc.). You can add a mixture of various grains and seeds to butter, freeze, make a hole in the prepared form and thread a rope.
- Dried berries of red and black mountain ash, irgi, elderberry, hawthorn, blueberry, etc.
- Dried fruits (apples, pears). They are popular with starlings, waxwings and blackbirds.
- Unroasted seeds of melon, watermelon, pumpkin.
- Chopped nuts (walnuts, peanuts) are preferred by woodpeckers and nuthatches.
- Lightly salted cheese, cut into small cubes.
- Dry crumbs of white bread are a real treat for sparrows.
- Ready mixes for birds from a pet store.
What should not be given as feed
Birds are not allowed to feed spoiled food that is fermented and moldy. But there are a number of restrictions that apply to products familiar to humans. They can cause irreparable damage to the health of birds and even threaten their lives:
- Salted seeds, pistachios, cookies, crackers. Birds do not have sweat glands. The entire burden of removing excess salt from the body falls on the kidneys, so they can refuse from abundantly salted food.The musculoskeletal system also suffers, because some salts tend to be deposited in the joints. Then any movement of the bird will cause severe pain.
- Roasted nuts... Here fats can harm the body. When they are oversaturated, the organs of the digestive system (pancreas, liver) suffer.
Rye bread... Due to the accelerated fermentation process, a situation often arises when the bird stops breathing from gases. This is because the goiter begins to compress the trachea.- Fresh wheat bread... It is dangerous because it turns into a sticky substance in a humid environment. It moves with difficulty through the digestive tract and causes indigestion.
- Seed kernels cherries, peaches, apricots, and almonds. They are easy to poison, as they are rich in hydrocyanic acid.
- Old, rancid millet... Harmful fats accumulate on its surface.
- Potatoes... The alkaloid solanine, which is found in raw tubers, causes poisoning in birds. The high concentration of starch in boiled potatoes creates an undesirable load on the stomach.
- Mushrooms... When eating mushrooms, there is a high probability that the spores of Clostridia, the causative agents of botulism, will enter the bird's body.
- Canned food... When preserving products, sugar, salt, vinegar, unhealthy for poultry, are used.
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General feeding rules
Once you start feeding birds, make it a habit. Delight them with healthy treats regularly. Birds quickly remember the place of feeding and get used to it... Don't forget: we are responsible for those we have tamed!
Important! The more varied you organize the menu, the more species of birds will be interested in your feeder.
Empty the trough from time to time. Rot and mold are fertile soil for the development of harmful microorganisms.
Can rice be fed to poultry
Most inexperienced farmers wonder if rice can be added to bird feed. It seems to be the same grain as barley, wheat and others. A limited amount of rice, rich in carbohydrates, minerals and B vitamins, will not harm the bird and will have time to digest. However abuse of this cereal can cause paralysis and even death in chickens.
It is recommended to feed the rice to the bird during the day... Mix it with, for example, vegetables, grass or other feed.
Feed the birds occasionally with boiled rice and diluted milk... Chickens are especially fond of this delicacy. They eat up quickly and become energetic.
It is useful to feed the feathered rice flour and chopped:
- Mix rice (preferably unpolished) and other feed in a 1: 3 ratio.
- Dilute slightly with water or milk.
Feeding rice alone or using it frequently is not acceptable... The productivity and well-being of a bird depends on a variety of its diet.
Why give rice to fighting birds
Especially for breeds of fighting roosters, a special diet is being developed, since their body needs an increased rate of protein and vitamins. It is based on compound feed. There are all kinds of additions to it: dairy products, herbs and even meat. Rice grits are also added.
Due to its high content of plant protein, rice stimulates the growth of muscle mass and saturates the body with energy. Another merit is the strengthening of the skeletal system.
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Conclusion
Helping feathered comrades is a noble cause. However, it is important to approach it wisely. By understanding the intricacies of the diet of domestic and wild birds, you can easily raise healthy livestock and help wild birds get through difficult times.