Bread mold isn’t consumed by humans for good reason. Throwing your loaf of bread away because of mold may seem like a waste but this is absolutely necessary.

Eating moldy bread can make humans sick, even something as simple as inhaling the spores can cause you to develop breathing problems especially if you have a mold allergy.

There are a couple of ways to prevent bread mold from developing on your loaf but once your bread starts getting moldy, it’s done for. But what about birds eating moldy bread? This article explores the question of ‘can bird eat moldy bread’ 

Birds cannot eat moldy bread, mouldy bread is toxic to birds. Bread mold can give birds a number of respiratory infections, these can present as pneumonia, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, gasping for breath, and wheezing.

Can birds eat mouldy bread?

Dangers of birds eating mouldy bread:

Just as humans can’t eat moldy bread, birds can’t eat moldy bread either. Bread, in itself, should not be given to birds as a major part of their diet, bread is low in nutrients but very filling to birds. What’s worse is giving birds moldy bread 

Moldy bread can kill birds. This type of bread can harbor aspergillosis.

Aspergillosis is a common fungal infection that causes birds to develop respiratory issues in the upper and lower parts of the respiratory system. The upper being the trachea, eyes, sinuses, nose and the lower being the air sacs and nose. 

Symptoms of respiratory infections in birds include pneumonia, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, gasping for air, wheezing while breathing, gurgling while breathing, nasal discharge, and open mouth breathing.

Unfortunately, you may not notice that the bird is suffering from a respiratory infection until it’s too late. You may think that the bread mold hasn’t affected the bird but this may not be the case.

Because birds have such sensitive respiratory systems, developing aspergillosis, or another respiratory infection can kill the bird if not treated quickly enough. 

What to do if your bird accidentally eats mouldy bread:

If your bird accidentally eats moldy bread you need to quickly take it to the vet.

Aspergillosis can kill birds and without the right treatment, it will. Your vet will give your bird fungal care and supportive care. This illness can be treated and birds typically heal as long as they get the treatment needed. 

You should also make sure to discard any bread that may be harmful to your bird. This includes bread that clearly has mold on it and bread that smells moldy.

Supportive care also involves cleaning any mold present in your home as your bird’s immune system is already compromised. Look for mold on moist surfaces 

What else to avoid when preparing bread for my bird

Bread is not a food that birds should be eating in large quantities or often.

Birds in the wild survive on a diet of grubs, worms, insects, plant material, seeds, pollen, nectar, fruits, nuts, snakes, rodents and other small animals. These foods are generally very nutrient-dense, bread is not nutrient-dense.

Bread will fill the bird up but not offer the animal adequate nutrients thus leaving the bird malnourished. Because of this, you need to avoid feeding your bird too much bread. Only feed bread to birds on occasion and in moderation

Also, avoid feeding your bird bread that has any savory or sugary spreads. Spreads that contain salt, garlic, or onion can be detrimental to your bird’s health causing dehydration, anemia, and weakness.

Sugary spreads on bread can cause diabetes if eaten often.

What baked goods can you serve birds?

A diet that consists of only baked goods is not good for birds but the occasional baked good can be a treat for the bird. Baked goods that you can offer birds include doughnuts, bread, cookies, and cake. 

When serving baked goods to birds, break the food up into smaller pieces, this makes it easier for birds to eat it. You can also soak the baked goods in water to make it easier for birds to eat, soaking also minimizes the chances of the bird choking on the food

Conclusion

In conclusion, no, birds cannot eat moldy bread. Bread mold can cause aspergillosis in birds. This illness can be treated, if the bird does not receive the treatment it can die.

If you do decide to offer bread to birds know that you should avoid offering bread that is seasoned or sweetened

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can birds eat asparagus?, Can birds eat butter?, Can birds eat chia seeds?, Can birds eat beans?