Todd Moody wrote:
> Susan, chickens are supposed to eat grains.  They have sharp
> beaks for pecking, which gives them access to seeds (grains) that
> have fallen to the ground, as well as bugs, worms, and similar
> stuff.  I see no reason why canola seed wouldn't be a reasonable
> thing for birds to eat.  Birds in general like to eat seeds of
> all kinds, and I'm sure that if they were in an area where
> rapeweed grows they would eat whatever seeds they could find.
>
> I think you have the idea that it is un-paleo for *any* animal to
> eat grains, or for humans to eat any grain-eating animal.  This
> is mistaken.  Grains and other seeds are an important part of the
> food chain, and so are the animals that eat them.  Chickens are
> paleo, even if they don't agree with you for some reason.
I think you might be taking this a little too far.  Presence of a
sharp beak is NOT an indication that an animal is supposed to eat
grains, though I would agree that chickens are better suited to
eating them than we are. One thing chickens use their beaks for
is fighting. Plenty of birds that NEVER eat grass seeds (but eat
other seeds/foods) have sharp beaks. Also seeds aren't necessarily grains.
Just like there are poisonous and non-poisonous mushroom, there are
seeds that are safe to eat (for us, chickens, whathaveyou), those
that aren't and those that aren't desirable (but not outright
poisonous). Chickens in the wild probably aren't evolved to eat
any noticeable proportion of their diet as grass seeds. If anyone
knows of studies that show this for birds it would be helpful.

Ilya