The big question for the day is, “can I feed my chickens dairy products?” I believe this information applies to ducks as well.
I don’t think that this question came up very much in the past because chickens were considered strictly farm animals. They lived outside in the chicken coop, were fed grains and table scraps and farmers collected their eggs daily. It’s possible that the farmer might have offered his free-ranging chicken a squirt of cow’s milk as he was milking, but I doubt the birds were offered a bowl of the precious commodity or a slice of the labor intensive cheese. It’s only in recent years that chickens have been considered pets and pampered. Yes I said pampered! Therefore, not a lot of research or studies have been performed regarding the effects of dairy products on chickens.
We all know that mammals produce and consume milk. A specific mammal’s milk contains all the nutrients that their young need to grow and thrive. When it comes to birds, once they hatch out of their eggs, their moms take care of feeding them, but they don’t produce milk. Some birds feed their young regurgitated food. Baby chicks eat the yolk when they hatch out of their egg shell. This yolk gives them all the nourishment that they need to survive for a couple of days. Their moms or surrogate moms (you and me) then take on the job of teaching them how to hunt for food that is good for them. If they are kept in captivity, they depend on us to provide nutrient rich foods. If they free range, mom will show the little ones what seeds, grasses, bugs, worms, fruits and vegetables are the best to eat. For a free range chicken, there is not really a lot of opportunity to eat dairy products, so things like milk, cheese and yogurt are not a natural part of a chicken’s diet. Sometimes we think, well, a chicken who is laying eggs needs a lot of calcium, so since milk is a good source of calcium, maybe I should give my chickens a serving of milk everyday. If a chicken were in the wild, what would their calcium source be? Not a cow. There are many other options available that will provide your hen with needed calcium besides dairy products. Leafy greens, herbs, sunflower seeds and wheat are all good sources of calcium, not to mention feeding crushed egg shells back to your birds.
So what is in dairy that is not good for chickens? Milk. Milk is the start of most dairy products like cheese, yogurt, butter; and milk contains lactose or milk sugar. Mammals have an enzyme called lactase which aides in the digestion of lactose. Since milk is foreign to a chicken’s natural diet, it makes sense that they do not have the digestive enzyme lactase. Simply put, they can’t digest milk sugars. So what happens to these milk sugars? They pass through the chicken undigested. If a bird consumes large amounts of milk sugars, it could cause them diarrhea, but small amounts will probably pass through unnoticed.
It is believed by some dairy feeding chicken farmers that dairy products which don’t contain milk sugars, like yogurt or cottage cheese, are fine to give your chickens. Interestingly, yogurt does contain milk sugars when first produced, but the live organisms present in the stuff consume the milk sugars by the time it’s ready to be eaten!
I read a study that was done in 1924 regarding the utilization of lactose by chickens. Much has changed over the years, but one thing I found very interesting is that during this study the chickens would only consume a minimal amount of dairy products of their own accord. To increase consumption of lactose, the chickens had to be force fed. I believe that the one things we need to give our chickens more credit for is knowing what nutrients they need and how much, as well as what foods are good for them and what foods are not. I’m relieved to know that a little dairy is fine for my chickens. Now, I won’t have to peel off the cheese when I give them leftover enchiladas, or worry about a dish of oatmeal that contains a little milk. It’s all fine. It’s also good to know that our chickens are pretty smart and given feed choices, will make good decisions on their own regarding their diet. For that reason, I always offer my chickens a variety of foods. As I say, too much of a good thing, is too much! Personally, I do not feed my chickens dairy products on a regular basis, other than what might be in some leftovers. I think that there are plenty of options available for treats and daily feed that fall within a chicken’s natural diet. When feeding your chickens, use good sense, give them variety, let them make choices, and remember that all treats should be given in moderation.
Note: I did read an article written by an exotic pet vet (see below) which said commercially prepared products for lactose intolerant people should not be fed to your chickens as they might be toxic. Questions or problems relating to feeding your chicken should be directed to your vet.
Sources:
An interesting article:
http:// http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/dairy.html