There is a whole controversy on whether bread is healthy for pheasant birds and whether they can eat it. Pheasants can eat bread and bread products like most birds.
Most flock owners are usually advised not to feed their pheasants bread as it offers little or no nutritional benefits to them, however if you feed your pheasants bread in moderation while also mixing it with other treats, it will be perfect for your birds.
This article will explain how beneficial bread is to your pheasant, how often you should feed them bread and the different types of ways you can feed bread to your birds.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Bread To Pheasants?
Although most online blogs will tell you bread has a lack of nutrients to benefit your pheasants, bread has quite a number of nutritional and health benefits to your flock and we will explain a few below.
- Carbohydrates
Bread is a great source of energy. Every type of bread has a high amount of carbs which translates to energy for your birds.
When given in moderate quantities, bread will enable pheasants be more active throughout the day.
- Vitamins
Depending on the type, bread is a good source of Vitamins to pheasants.
Bread contains a variety of vitamins such as vitamin b, B1, B3 and B5. These Vitamins help maintain your pheasants healthy plumage and improve their immunity
- Fibre
We can all agree that bread is an important source of fiber for both humans and animals.
The dietary fiber in bread will keep your pheasant’s digestive system healthy and clear and make them feel fuller for longer.
Related: Check out this article I wrote on feeding pheasants bananas
- Calcium
All types of bread whether white or whole grain are filled with calcium nutrients. Giving your pheasants calcium helps the reproductive process and improves their egg quality.
- Iron
Iron repairs the immune system and boosts it, it also cleans up blood so it is healthier.
The importance of iron to pheasants cannot be overemphasized and since bread is a good source of Iron then you can feed it to your pheasant flock.
How Often Should I Feed Them Bread?
Bread is not everyday food you should give to your pheasants. It is meant to be a treat that should be given once in a while.
Pheasants are originally wild birds and also omnivores, their everyday diet should consist of plants, peas, lentils, fruits, insects, wheat to mention a few.
A mix of all these will help provide your pheasant with the necessary nutrients to grow.
There are disadvantages to feeding pheasants bread everyday. Bread, although having some nutrients, is mostly filler content.
Giving too much bread can lead to digestion issues such as diarrhea and other health issues.
You should feed your pheasants bread filled with other nutritious treats like peanuts about once or twice a week and no more.
Can Baby Pheasants Eat Bread?
Baby pheasants can eat bread but it should not be fed to them because it doesn’t contain the necessary nutrients they need to grow.
It is also possible that feeding them on a bread only diet can cause them health problems.
During their first few weeks of life, you should place your pheasant chicks on a starter feed which has about 28% of protein content.
Between 6 and 20 weeks they should be moved to a grower feed which still requires about 25% of protein.
Feeding baby pheasants bread is a no no therefore till they reach adulthood.
Can Pheasants Eat Bread And Butter?
Pheasants can eat bread mixed with butter however you shouldn’t feed them this often for a number of reasons.
Like most birds, foods that are high in salt, sugar and fat content like butter can cause serious health problems for pheasants.
Healthy and unsalted butter can help your pheasants get through winter when they need the fat to stay warm.
Most often tourists who visit parks or ponds where pheasants are always advised not to feed pheasants bread and butter or other salty and sugary snacks as it could affect the birds.
If you do want to make a sandwich for your pheasants, you can add peanut butter, unsalted butter and other healthier and less fatty butter options.
Can Pheasants Eat Bread Crumbs?
Pheasants can eat bread crumbs and breaking the bread into crumbs or smaller quantities is a great way to feed them bread.
The crumbs make it easy for the birds to digest and swallow the bread. This is better for them than placing a large slice of bread in their bowl.
Always remember that you should only feed your pheasants bread or bread crumbs occasionally as too much of it can cause swelling in their stomachs and other digestion problems like diarrhea.
Also check out this article on feeding them corn
Can Pheasants Eat Bread With Mold?
On no occasion should you feed you your pheasant flock moldy bread. Once you feed your flock bread, sweep up the leftovers so they don’t come back to eat it.
Bread exposed to moisture can get moldy very easily.
Moldy bread is harmful and poisonous to birds and can kill them.
The mold on bread can cause respiratory infections, wing and feather malformation and in the worst cases death of the pheasant.
Since you do not want to lose your flock, it is best to avoid feeding them moldy bread and reduce the quantity of bread given to them.
How Can I Feed Bread To My Pheasants?
There are different ways to feed your pheasants bread as opposed to just placing slices in their bowl.
We will discuss a few healthy bread recipes that will make them enjoy the treat better.
- Homemade Birdie Bread
To make this delicious mix for your bird you would need:
- A cup of oats
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- A cup of granola
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- One tablespoon of grated cuttle bone/mineral block
- 1/2 non-dairy milk
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs
- Mashed bananas
Mix the dry ingredients together and in a separate bowl. Beat the eggs together and add to the milk and applesauce.
Combine the ingredients together and add the mashed bananas.
Bake at about 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Let it cool before serving it to your pheasants.
- Bird Sandwich
To make your bread offering more healthy and attractive to your pheasants, make them a bird sandwich.
To make this use whole or multigrain bread then add peanut butter, softened suet, jelly or marmalade.
You can also add bird seeds, dried insects and worms, fruits and nuts.
- Whole Wheat or MultiGrain with Almond Butter
This one is an easy to make breakfast option for your pheasants.
To prepare this specialty, toast your whole wheat or other healthy bread and spread the almond butter on it.
Chop a large banana into the butter before spreading it and put the two pieces together.
Cut it into smaller pieces and serve to your flock. You can also find more bread recipes at Breadhomemaderecipes.
Things To Note Before Feeding Them Bread
Before feeding your pheasants bread, remember that bread alone cannot sustain your flocks growth and give them the needed nutrients to grow.
There are a lot of myths around bread which claim bread is not good for your pheasants but will make them swell.
This is not true especially when bread is fed to your pheasants in moderation and is also mixed with other healthy seeds and nutrients.
Also, healthier bread for humans is healthier bread for birds.
The over processed bread we humans eat might not have a lot of nutritional value but healthier options like whole grain, wheat and rye bread have high nutritional content for your pheasants.
Conclusion
The controversy on feeding bread to birds in general is one that has gone on for quite a while.
Pheasants are hardy and will eat almost anything that comes their way and as such it is possible for you to feed them bread.
It should not be their main food and it will be better for you to stick to more healthy bread options while also mixing your bread with seeds and other treats to give them a wholesome meal.
