baby formula

[Alaskan]

can feed my chickens and ducks baby formula?

From what I understand it is OK to feed it to the dog, but I would rather the poultry got a treat.

Anyone know?

 

[wcbpolish]

I'm pouring ~1/2 can over half a loaf of bread (bread was free too) each day in the laying hen pens and the duck pen.
Does not seem to be affecting them adversely. I'm keeping an eye on them.
Barn cats don't like it straight... I think that the high iron content makes it taste "tin-y" but they will eat it mixed with their food.
Wife is giving a small amount to her puppies that she is weaning.

So... I'm using it... but at this rate I'll have it for a year!

Just a FYI to everyone interested...
I'm feeding it over bread (as I indicated in my last post) and whole oats. They get it every other or every 3rd day. No adverse affects. Puppies still get some, as do the barn cats. Egg production is good... hens are 2-3 years old, and I am getting ~10 eggs a day from ~20 hens. (new pullets are growing up to replace the older ladies) Ducks are laying 8-10 eggs a day from 14 hens.

I was reading "Feed and Feeding, Abridged" by Morrison (printed Pre-1950) and it recommends using skim milk and buttermilk as poultry drinking source, but says that whole milk is too expensive to consider for any livestock food except orphaned animals (nothing about it being BAD for them, just too valuable). So... I guess milk products are not terrible for poultry. Yes, I recognize that it is dated information, but just because something is old-fashioned does not make it bad.

 

[youdontknow32]

We feed our chickens powdered milk and we make the bagged potatoes and give those to them, never thought about baby formula, we use to give them fresh cows milk too, I'm sorry that was no help!!

-Nicole

 

[MissPrissy]

Chick starter, clean water is really all they need. We give yogurt and kefir for good probiotics.

They don't need formula. Mixtures of minerals and vitamins can overload them and be too much.

I wouldn't give it to them.

 

[Alaskan]

I know they don't need baby formula, but it is good food, and expensive, and if I don't feed it to something I will have to just toss it out.

I like the poultry more than I like the dog, which is why I would rather feed it to them. but obviously I don't want to kill them.

If I mixed it up like you would for a human baby...wouldn't that be OK? Kinda like feeding milk?

And the poultry are all about 15 weeks old.

 

[MissPrissy]

Mix it with plenty of water. If they get the runs you'll know why.

 

[arlee453]

While there is a bit of debate on the subject, most sources I've read say to avoid dairy products wtih poultry.

In very small amounts it probably wouldn't hurt them, but they are lactose intolerant so more than a small amount may give them some seroius digestive upset. UNLESS the forumla is lactose free/soy.

Just my thoughts...

 

[tvtaber]

Maybe a food bank would be abetter place for it than in the chickens or dog...

 

[BayCityBabe]

I'm with TVTaber - a food bank or local domestic violence shelter will take it if it hasn't expired.

 

[Alaskan]

nope...it has already been opened, so I can't donate it.

maybe the dog would be safer *ponder*