The answer to, can animals eat biodegradable BBs is, yes.
However, there is not a lot of scientific data on the subject to suggest that they are completely safe for animals.
Even so, when biodegradable bbs are eaten by animals, they will usually digest them normally.
If there are any problems with eating biodegradable bbs, it often involves some blocked digestion.
Most testimonials and anecdotal evidence suggests that this too shall pass, however they are not typically considered safe to be eaten by animals.
Learn more about biodegradable bbs here, and how they can impact pets and wildlife too.
Airsoft Pellets
Among the most common bb pellets on the market are airsoft pellets.
These are a low-quality plastic spherical object that can be inserted into airsoft bb guns.
The pellets themselves will measure 6 mm in diameter, although some 8 mm versions are available.
Other bb guns have metal bbs that use bb pellets that are approximately 4.5 mm in size or 4.6 mm in size.
These are not the same kind of pellets.
The biodegradable version of bb pellets are the larger ones.
Biodegradable BB Pellets
Biodegradable pellets are made that make enjoying pellet gun use safer and easier to clean up.
In some locations, they are required by fields that are outside that are used for pellet practice.
When biodegradable pellets are used, clean up and sweeping of the fields is much easier.
Plastic pellets are not as easy to clean up, and are known to pollute the environment.
These will have a petroleum base in the center, and will be coated in a plastic that is not biodegradable.
Where biodegradable pellets will be consumed by the environment within one hundred years, plastic pellets will take several hundred years to decompose completely.
Biodegradable pellets on the other hand are made of resin.
They are heavily used by the agricultural industry, and are often certified as compostable.
The resins that make up these pellets are often composed of renewable elements such as corn material and polylactic acid.
The manufacturing process of biodegradable pellets uses soil microbes and a process that involves photosensitive degradation.
Biodegradable pellets are made of polylactic acid known as PLA. This is an acid that degrades in water very easily.
It is made of renewable resources such as corn or tapioca, and even sometimes sugarcane.
This material is already found in a food supply, and is used frequently in the medical industry.
When used in medical products, it is naturally biodegradable within the human system.
It would stand to reason that when this product is used on biodegradable pellets, it would have a better chance of biodegradability within animal systems.
When used, biodegradable pellets are often preferred over synthetic pellets as they have a precision-level that other bb pellets do not have.
They are known to be consistent and accurate more often than plastic bb pellets. They are safer and more environmentally friendly than other pellets.
Still, that does not mean they are completely safe for animals to eat.
Can Animals Eat Biodegradable Pellets?
Animals can eat biodegradable pellets if a random accident happens, but they still aren’t the safest thing for them to eat.
Biodegradable soft pellets are still plastic pellets with a plastic resin coating.
While some animals can handle this, the other thing to keep in mind here is that most animals won’t want to eat this product.
You might think that your animal or some wildlife you are shooting around has eaten or could eat your biodegradable pellet.
However, if they do, it’s not usually going to be life-threatening. It would most likely pass through their systems depending on the animal.
The chances of them even having this problem are slim, as they are not likely to want to eat the pellet on its own.
Even so, there are chances that an animal could accidentally swallow a pellet on an outdoor field.
If it is near other food supplies or covered with something, something as small as 6 mm could be eaten.
It won’t be a tragedy if it is your pet, and it won’t be a tragedy for a mass throng of wildlife you may be shooting around. It’s simply ill-advised as food.
Animals Most Likely to Eat Biodegradable Pellets
The animals that are most likely to eat biodegradable bb pellets are dogs when out in fields for training or getting their walks in, chickens, mice, squirrels, and birds.
Although it is likely that any animal near any of these fields could be likely to eat these pellets.
Animals Can Eat Biodegradable BBs
When you are wondering whether animals can eat biodegradable bbs, the answer is yes.
Almost any animal can eat biodegradable bbs, and they likely will if they run across them in the woods.
Biodegradable bbs are constructed with products that are made from renewable resources that are food sources.
These are the same food sources and acids that are used in medical devices and products that are consumed and digested by the human body.
As such, animals can safely eat biodegradable bbs. They may experience digestive blockages, but there are no reports of tragedies after consuming them.
