# Wildlife is ignoring my bread cubes



## debodun (May 8, 2020)

I had several slices of stale bread. Instead of just throwing it out, I cut it into cubes and scattered them out in the backyard yesterday. I though the squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks and birds would have them cleaned up fast. They are still there. I wonder why no one is interested.


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## RadishRose (May 8, 2020)

If it's made from white flour, it has no nutrition; they won't eat it if there's something better around.


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## debodun (May 8, 2020)

It's called "sprouted wheat" and looks like whole grain bread. My mom would actually buy "bird bread" from a local bakery outlet in the spring. This time of year the birds are raising their hatchlings and the bread would be gone in an hour when she did it.


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## RadishRose (May 8, 2020)

Well then, they have a problem I guess.


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## Aunt Marg (May 8, 2020)

Not really ignoring it, but rather, just occupied with hunting for what they're bodies need badly right now, and busy with mates, etc.


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## Ruth n Jersey (May 8, 2020)

Around Christmas time they say the birds love the dried cranberries and pop corn that you string for the Christmas tree. When the kids were small we often did this activity. After the tree was taken down I put the strings outside.
Not one bird would come and eat any of it. I tried it for several years with no luck.
I then read not to put the strings out because the birds get tangled in it.
In reference to the bread problem, maybe they would rather have the bread soaked in a bit of water. I've seen some that bring it to the birdbath and do it themselves.
Maybe they are just picky. My inside bird, Kirby, would rather die than eat dry bread. Nothing but plain gooey white bread for him. Given anything else makes him grumpy for the rest of the evening.


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## win231 (May 8, 2020)

Animals are sometimes more health conscious than we are.  I researched the diets of the raccoons & the opossum I feed every night.
Although they are both omnivores & can eat anything, the opossum likes fruit, almonds & hazelnuts.  The raccoon prefers cat kibble & mango.
Neither one of them will eat bread; maybe they've read about processed foods?


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## Aunt Bea (May 8, 2020)

Every cloud has a silver lining!

The good news is that the neighbor's junk pile hasn't attracted enough vermin to clean up your supply of stale bread.


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## C'est Moi (May 8, 2020)

Aunt Bea said:


> Every cloud has a silver lining!
> 
> The good news is that the neighbor's junk pile hasn't attracted enough vermin to clean up your supply of stale bread.


Great minds...     My first thought was that rats and mice will probably find that bread sooner or later.


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## Kaila (May 8, 2020)

I had found over the years, in my own experiences and in my observations,
 that the wilder the area wildlife is, the less they touch things like bread.

So it might be either an 'aquired taste' or they each stick with what is familiar to them.

Ducks and geese and gulls at City parks, swarm to bread cubes, that people regularly toss for them,
 but the wild ones that land in woodland ponds, do not touch it.  Those eat corn or field grains.


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## win231 (May 8, 2020)

C'est Moi said:


> Great minds...     My first thought was that rats and mice will probably find that bread sooner or later.


Maybe not.  I read about an interesting lab experiment with rats.
A box of Fruit Loops cereal was placed in their cage.  The rats ate the box but didn't touch the Fruit Loops.


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## In The Sticks (May 13, 2020)

If you read on the web, feeding bread to birds is not a good thing.

I'm not the Tweet Police, just something you might wish to read about.

I had heard this a while ago.


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## terry123 (May 13, 2020)

Have read the same thing.


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## Pappy (May 13, 2020)

My fish and turtles, in the canal in back of my house, love stale bread. I throw out little pieces so they can eat it better.


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## Camper6 (May 13, 2020)

They have been accustomed to pizza crusts over the years. 

I live close to Lake Superior.

The seagulls pick up anything edible and they have the ability to spot food from a great distance.

Crows also are not fussy.  They are the only bird I have ever seen that will feast on a road kill skunk.


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## toffee (May 13, 2020)

I put out bread in their tray and bam its all gone -I waste loads of brown bread ' I crumble it up '
best thing for spring baby birds ….


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## Em in Ohio (May 13, 2020)

You should take your old bread to the nearest shoreline - as Camper6 says, the seagulls will swarm!  I've had them grab the end of a hotdog bun right out of my hand!


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