>I've been reading the posts about sand boxes and some that have used rice
>in them. I am somewhat concerned about the rice - especially if a ferret
>eats it. I know most areas have banned the use of rice throwing at
>weddings because birds eat it, it swells inside them and is somehow
>responsible for their death soon after. Does anyone know why it would kill
>a bird? Would the same thing happen to a ferret if they ate it?
 
Actually, the information here is not quite complete.  Over the last
several years, people, without thinking, were buying any old rice they
could find to throw at weddings.  Without any real knowledge of what they
were doing, they started buying the "minute" style of rice, that cooks in
only a few minutes.  This type of rice is also known as *instant* rice.
Its *instant* rice that can kill a bird if they eat it.  The problem with
this type of rice is that it was previously cooked, then dehydrated.  This
allows the buyer to get it back to its "cooked" state by simply soaking it
in water.  As you can see, this could pose a serious threat to a bird.  It
eats enough pellets to fill its stomach, then goes and gets a drink of
water.  The pre-cooked rice absorbs the water, swells up (like it was
before it had been dehydrated) and causes the little bird's stomach to
burst.
 
Uncooked rice doesn't have this flaw.  If you soak uncooked rice in water,
all you get is soft rice.  It maintains it's shape and (for the most part)
size until it is boiled.
 
For birds, the safest option is to either eat the raw (or uncooked) rice,
or the "minute rice" variety after it is wet.  If you wish to use rice in
the box and no one else seems to have any other reasons for not using it,
go ahead and try it! :)  However, you may find that your vacuum may object
to such hard objects going inside!
 
Todd and the (101 places to stash uncooked rice to cause havoc!) Fuzzbutt
Rodeo Clowns!
 
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[Posted in FML issue 2471]