Since childhood, everyone knows that it is necessary to help wild animals - for example, by building feeders in winter so that the birds can feed themselves. However, not everyone knows whether it is possible to feed a pigeon bread. The question causes controversy among bird lovers, because not everyone is familiar with the features of their digestive system. Unfortunately, black or white buns are not the best treat for birds. The answer lies in the features of the anatomical structure of the pigeon.
Is it possible to give bread to pigeons?
Bread of any kind is considered unsuitable food for a pigeon.The fact is that birds have a crop in which incoming food accumulates. Here it is stored for some time and partially processed. The sticky and sticky consistency of bread clogs the goiter, causing obstruction, which causes problems with the stomach and liver.
Black
Rye bread causes increased acid formation in the stomach, which leads to dysbiosis. The pigeon becomes sensitive to bacterial and viral infections and is more susceptible to the action of helminths. Fermentation can begin in the crop, which will cause breathing problems, and in severe cases, death from suffocation.
White
White bread is considered more harmful than black bread due to its low content of vitamins D and E. Rolls contain a lot of calories, which make birds sedentary and prone to obesity. This deforms the joints, which begin to bend poorly. A characteristic feature is the so-called “angel wing”, which cannot be bent. The bird becomes unable to fly and quickly dies.
Benefits and harms of the product
The harm from feeding bread is much greater than the benefit. A product unfamiliar to the bird’s stomach causes an increased acid content. Bread swells in the digestive tract, often causing blockage. In the goiter, lumps of bread may well block the larynx and trachea, leading to suffocation.
In the cold season, you can give dried bread in the form of crackers to save birds from hunger. But you need to remember that even crackers are given in limited quantities - no more than 10 parts of the rest of the feeder.In addition to bread, it is forbidden to give pigeons meat, dairy products and leftover human food, which greatly undermine the activity of the intestines.
What to feed the birds
Suitable treats are simple cereals, such as millet or pearl barley. You can treat pigeons with seeds, but not fried or salted. Sprouted millet and oats will be considered a delicacy, and will not only satisfy your hunger, but will also bring many benefits, because they contain many useful microelements.
A substitute for sunflower seeds containing fat will be rapeseed or pumpkin seeds. Young pigeons are often fed sesame seeds, brown rice, beans and lentils. You can use regular food for parrots or other birds, which is sold in pet stores.
Porridges, including pearl barley, can be given to adult birds and young birds - they will not cause any harm, provided that they are prepared without adding oil, salt and sugar. You can feed them oatmeal, whole or boiled.
The best time for feeding is at 16-17 hours. Then the bird’s body will have time to digest the resulting carbohydrates and proteins overnight without any special consequences.
