Keeping turkeys for profit or for food, means that you should know all it takes to feed them.
And one thing you might be considering is feeding breads and the crumbs
Can turkeys eat bread? Yes, turkeys can eat bread. If you love to eat bread and you’re wondering if it’s okay to share your favorite meal with your turkeys, it’s perfectly fine. Your turkeys won’t only enjoy eating them, it is very nutritious for them and will benefit them a great deal.
Feeding your turkeys the right diet is an important part of caring for them so not only should you know if they can eat a particular food, but also how much they can eat it and in what way.
Bread is a treat for turkeys and should not be replaced with their main feed. It can only supplement it.
You should only feed your turkeys bread occasionally. This is because eating bread too often will do them more harm than good.
You should also tear bread into small pieces before feeding them to your turkeys.
This prevents choking and helps your turkeys to get the best out of it.
Which kind of bread is good for turkeys?
The kind of bread that is good for turkeys is fresh bread and unprocessed bread.
Don’t feed wet, moldy or spoilt bread to your turkeys.
This can make them fall sick, and I know you care about them too much to want them to be sick.
Not to consider the stress you would have to go through taking care of them during this period too.
Basically, whatever bread isn’t good for you, isn’t good for your turkeys. That’s the straight answer.
Don’t feed your turkeys bread you can’t eat because you feel they’re animals and will eat anything. It can make them very sick.
If you really want to treat your turkeys to some bread, give them fresh ones.
It is a nice supplement to their feed and will benefit their health.
Most of the bread available in stores are processed, have additives and preservatives, which are very bad for turkeys.
It could harm them. It is better to feed turkeys whole grain or multi grain bread that is organically produced.
Ensure they have minimal preservatives.
They are more healthy for your turkeys and even you. You can add nut butters to make it into a nutritious sandwich that will be beneficial to their health.
Related: Here is an article on Do turkeys have ears?
What happens if you feed wet bread to turkeys?
Wet bread isn’t good for your turkeys for a number of reasons.
When bread gets wet, it becomes sticky.
When your turkeys eat it, it can get lodged in their digestive system, which will cause impaction.
When not treated quickly and efficiently, impaction can lead to death.
Eating wet bread can also cause your turkeys to develop an illness called angel wings.
Their wings drop down or stick out as a result of a crooked joint.
This condition is hard to cure, can become permanent and lead to death.
Angel wings can also be caused by excessive eating of bread.
Bread can’t provide your turkeys the necessary nutrients needed for their growth and health, so feeding them just bread is bad for them.
They will be malnourished and malnourishment is one of the causes of angel wings.
Want to know how to raise turkeys? See this comprehensive guide
Why should you feed turkeys bread?
Bread like whole grain bread which is one of the best bread you can give your turkeys is packed with nutrients.
This bread contains protein, antioxidants and trace minerals like copper, magnesium and zinc which is necessary for your turkeys to grow healthy. It is also free of cholesterol.
An 100 grams of whole grain bread contains;
✓ 13g of protein. Turkeys need diet high in protein especially while growing. Giving them bread as treats to supplement their food ensures they do not lack it.
✓ 13% iron. Iron helps your turkeys to form red blood cells and stay healthy. Lack of iron can lead to anemia and reduction in red blood cells. You don’t want that for your turkeys.
✓ 10% calcium. Calcium helps turkeys in forming bones. A lack of calcium can lead to tickets and poor growth.
✓ 15% of Vitamin B 6. A lack of this vitmin can lead to nervousness and episodes of hyper activity in your turkeys.
Why should you not feed turkeys bread?
Bread is a good treat for your turkeys as long as they are fed occasionally.
These are some of the reasons you may want to reduce how often you feed your turkeys bread or skip it altogether.
✓ Bread contains sugar and dietary fiber which can make your turkeys full and neglect their main feed.
Since bread can’t give them all the nutrients they require daily, this will lead to malnutrition which can cause a lot of sicknesses and poor growth etc.
✓ Bread could get wet on the ground while feeding it to your turkeys and wet bread can give them impaction which can lead to death.
✓ Bread contains fat and feeding it to your turkeys always can lead to obesity which can cause health issues.
Can you feed baby turkeys bread?
Yes, you can feed baby turkeys bread.
But do not feed them bread always so they won’t neglect their main feed for it.
You should also tear the bread into small pieces so your turkeys don’t choke while eating it.
Basically, bread as treats occasionally is okay for baby turkeys.
Can turkeys eat moldy bread?
No turkeys cannot eat moldy bread. It is very bad for them.
Same way it is bad for you and can make you sick is the same way it is bad for your turkeys.
Food contaminated with mold can produe fungal toxins which leads to a lot of illnesses and egg laying problems in turkeys.
Some toxins are lethal while some reduce immunity and appetite exposing the turkeys to other diseases.
These toxins can lead to death of baby turkeys, infertility, recurrent respiratory infections, gizzard blockages etc.
There is no end to the harm moldy bread can cause your turkeys. It is best not to feed them with it.
How to include bread in your bird’s treats?
In addition to their main diet, birds love treats but should be given to them only occasionally.
You can add bread to their diet by cutting it into small pieces and serving it together with other treats like nuts.
Serving it with fruits or other treats with water can get the bread wet which isn’t good for them.
Bread can also be served by including it with treats that are high in protein. This will be more nutritious for your birds.
Conclusion.
Turkeys can eat bread and it contain nutrients that is good for them.
It should not be served wet as this can lead to health issues.
Fresh and whole grain bread are the best bread to give your turkeys. You should never give them moldy or spoilt bread.
Cut bread into small slices while feeding your turkeys so as to avoid choking and serve it with other treats with high nutritional value.
Avoid serving it with treats that contain lots of water so the bread won’t get wet.
References.
https://farmdesire.com/can-turkeys-eat-bread/
