Does rice make birds die?

Answer 1

No, eating rice does not make birds die. Many birds eat rice as part of their regular diet.

The very respected publication "Bird Watcher's Digest" has an article about this and other bird-related myths. It is not true that eating rice kills a bird, and it is not true that feeding a bird alka seltzer will make him explode, either.

"1. You should not throw rice at the bride and groom at weddings because birds eat it and it swells up in their stomach and kills them. Sometimes the myth goes that it causes them to explode.
Not true. If it were, there would be exploding bird stories all over the national press every June. Think about it. Lots of birds feast in rice fields every year, irritating rice farmers to distraction. If eating rice caused birds to explode, most rice fields would look like a popcorn machine in the harvest season, with little puffs and explosions providing constant entertainment. Quite a vision, and one that the press would never miss.

And there is no difference between rice in fields and rice in bags from the supermarket. Birds have no trouble digesting rice, or any other "expanding" vegetable. I am all in favor of throwing birdseed at weddings, which is what proponents of this myth urge as a solution. I like the symbolism of throwing birdseed. But rice is fine, too.

Another exploding bird myth. I wonder why we are so attached to myths where something blows up. Must be the drama.

This myth proposes that if you feed a gull an Alka Seltzer tablet it will swallow the offering and when the lethal charge gets into the stomach and dissolves, the expanding gasses will cause the bird to explode. Every year there is another story about some mean kids doing this. Oddly, it always involves New Jersey.

After you stop giggling at the image of gulls exploding like flying land mines all over the Jersey shore, the unlikelihood of the myth starts to intrude. If it were true, it would be a big story. I can see the coverage now: Dan Rather in his safari jacket, standing on the windswept coast, hair blowing in the wind, gull feathers raining down in the background; PBS specials (who can resist the vision of a gull, cheerfully flying along and then suddenly exploding, right in front of the camera?); exposés in the tabloids.

If the body could not handle a little Alka Seltzer without an explosion, it wouldn't be legal to sell the stuff over the counter. If it caused gulls to explode, there would be a rash of reports every year. I do not know the physiological process by which the body processes a tablet swallowed whole (and I have no interest in trying), but I assume it involves, among other things, a fair amount of belching and a slightly gassy feeling. Actually, if I ate some of the stuff that gulls do, I would be thrilled to have a little relief, but they seem to do fine without it."

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/backyard_birds/myths/myths.aspx

Answer 2

I have used rice in the diet of my pigeons for over 25 years. I feed soaked grains to my parrots and they relish. I also make a soft food for the parrots that has white brown and long grained wild rice in it. It doesn't hurt them.
A variety of seed is best for your birds. The more variety they eat the better. You don't state what kind of bird which would help some. As long as you don't feed a diet that only includes rice you should be OK no matter what type of bird you have.

Answer 3

I have hear that if a bird eats too much raw rice it will expand when it comes in contact with the birds digestive juices and cause the digestive organs to rupture or burst. Animal activists try to get people to throw confetti or blow bubbles at the newly married couple instead of throwing rice because of this. I myself have seen crows out in the rice fields pecking away and I would think they would avoid something that could kill them --- so I'm not sure that this might be a good one for the "mythbusters".

Answer 4

No, rice does not make birds die.
Cockatiels absolutely love brown rice, (not raw oviously)
If you have a cockatiel, ensure they eat brown rice, only a little bit per week, with no added ingredients, not even salt. And don't let them swallow the whole grain fast, because if the grain is big, then it will not digest and it could create death. If they eat the grain in pieces, then I would say that is very healthy for them.
Have fun!:) xx

Answer 5

No it doesn't. Birds can and do ingest all sorts of things that are not even food. These objects go into the crop, a food receptacle at the front of the neck, and sometimes they help grind up the food. The bird will regurgitate anything that is not digestible, or keep it in the crop just for grinding food.

Answer 6

you may feed rice to a chook, yet you opt to prepare dinner it first. I prepare dinner all of by utilising birds' rice for 2 times as long because of the fact the kit shows with the intention to circumvent any swelling later. blending rice with pureed greens is an incredible meal for a chook.

Answer 7

It does not make them die however if the bird is fed too much rice, the rice can cause the birds stomach to explode.
It is just safer not to feed any bird rice. Cooked or raw.
=]

Answer 8

Bird Eating Alka Seltzer

Answer 9

no. I often see birds at rice fields.

Answer 10

Great point, I'm interested to know more too