Can chickens have egg nog?

[coolcanoechic]

Just curious. Won't do it if it is bad for them. Just looking for new treats to try. Would never over indulge them.

 

[Chic-n-farmer]

Sure, but I wouldn't let them drive afterwards!

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Not even a chicken tractor?

 

[BarnGoddess01]

Quote:

(especially if I make it ...

)

 

[coolcanoechic]

Quote:
Not even a chicken tractor?

Ha ha

Thats funny!
The reason I asked was because egg nog has sugar in it and I didn't know if it would be a bad for them.

 

[BrattishTaz]

I was tempted to give mine some too. I decided against it because of the sugar. My cat did get a couple spoonfuls of it and loved it. You can try using it for French toast if you just want to use it up. I bought mine after another BYC member suggested it. It was yummy!

 

[elmo]

Chickens can't digest lactose, so if you give them too much they'll get the runs. Personally, I would drink the eggnog myself!

 

[moodlymoo]

The only bad part is the high amount of sugar I would think. Hahaha dont let them drive and watch for stumbling around.

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

Spiking it with whiskey (for its grain content) would surely be better than the rum-laced, cane-based concoction.

Turning that remark to the serious side, eggnog in any significant quantity or on a regular basis would be pumping up their sugar intake from the raw sugars they encounter in their feed and forage . . . BIG time. Wicked disruptive, to my mind, to the balance of feed and treats that make for happy, distracted, healthy birds. You could overfeed a lot of scratch, veggie scraps or other treats, before you'd disrupt the diet they require as much as something as sweet as eggnog would.

 

[coolcanoechic]

Well, I tried it. They loved it. I only let them have a few sips though before taking it away. One thing I noticed about the girls is that they only take a few bites of treats and then they are done with it. They don't gorge themselves like a dog would. I know that moderation is a good idea, since they get everything they need from their feed and that it is important that they eat their feed first before treats.
Right now, the girls are new. I have only had them for a week and I'm trying to get them to like me. The previous owner let them free range and didn't handle them much, so now I need to win their trust. Treats are the only way I think I can do this. Any other ideas?