Fresh cows milk for calcium?

[Kiwi Chicky]

We live on a dairy farm so milk is something freely available.

Can I give some to the chooks? will they drink it?

Is it bad/good for them?

 

[Indiana hens]

yes , yes, maybe pasturized is always safest.

 

[cgmccary]

Yes, chickens love milk & its good for them. For my old hen in the winter, I'll warm her milk, and when I give it to her, she chirps like a little chick.

Bet your milk is really good. I buy from a local dairy up the road (one that doesn't use artificial growth hormones (rBGH) and where the cows feed on grass pastures in the summer & the cream is on top).

 

[daryl]

I get raw milk from my local organic farm right out of the bulk tank.
It doen not get any better. and its good for chickens

 

[texasbartrambaby]

I am sure that it is - we give our chickens our fresh raw goat milk and they LOVE it. Started standing around while we were milking just to get a "shot" in the air!!

I will say though, I am a little afraid to hatch out our eggs. I don't think the chicks could chip their way through as hard and thick as my shells are!

 

[threehorses]

In the old days milk products used to be given a lot for protein and calcium. Now, I wouldn't use it FOR the calcium as the source. I'd use your feed and oyster shell for that. But I'd use it for the protein and the living bacteria that, since unpasteurized, are still in the milk.

If you google it, you'll find a lot of excerpts from older books where milk was given to birds because back then people had cows. sometimes they even used it as the water source, not that I'd recommend that now. But certainly using it to make wet mashes is wonderful and healthful.

I personally wouldn't recommend store-bought milk this way at all because of its lack of the bacteria in it that digest the lactose that you're giving.

If you see changes in their droppings, excess runniness, discontinue. And of course always give it safely - don't allow it to set particularly when mixed with feeds.

 

[Kiwi Chicky]

Thanks guys

I will watch their poop

I gave them some earlier - will check soon and see if they've had any

 

[chickiedoodle]

From the research I have done, raw milk is actually best as it contains the enzymes needed to digest the lactose. Birds, like lactose intolerant people, do not have these and can get runny poo if fed pasteurized milk. We have dairy goats and boy do the chickens make a fuss when they see us coming with the milk pail. We don't often have leftovers, but when we do--look out. Milk can supply the majority of the protein for their diet--it just isn't cost effective for most people.

 

[threehorses]

Quote:
Yep, it's the bacteria in it that make the enzymes.