garlic

[Anny]

I've heard of people feeding there chickens garlic, does this have any health benefits or do they just like it? How much garlic is ok? Do you feed it raw?

 

[arlee453]

I'd not go TOO much garlic - i remember reading somewhere that it can taint the flavor of the eggs. i could be totally making that up though... wish I could find the reference.

Anyone else?

 

[keljonma]

We feed our chickens crushed garlic at least once a week. They love it in yogurt and in scrambled eggs. The oldest birds are over 2 years old. I sell my eggs, so I am sure I would have heard from someone if the eggs tasted like garlic. (One woman buys 4 dozen from me at a time because she bakes for the soup kitchen.)

 

[arlee453]

OK, I'm not crazy...I knew I'd read that somewhere. Found a few references...

From http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/articles/poultry/06_egg_production.htm

Taint

An abnormal flavour can be caused by the hens eating yarrow or wild garlic, or excess fishmeal in layers’ ration.

A mouldy taint can be caused by chlorinated phenols in shavings

From: http://www.blpbooks.co.uk/articles/fish_taste_eggs.php

Plants on range:
Some plants such as garlic, oilseed rape and wild onion can impart taints to the eggs of free-ranging hens.

AND from my favorite webpage with all sorts of cool pics of weird eggs: http://www.poultryhelp.com/oddeggs.html

OFF FLAVOR:
Off flavor eggs may result from something the hen ate or from environmental odors. Hens that eat onions, garlic, fruit peelings, fish meal, and fish oil will lay eggs with an undesirable flavor. Eggs can also absorb odors that translate into unpleasant flavors if they're stored near kerosene, carbolic acid, mold, must, fruits and vegetables.​

 

[happyhen]

I remember reading an article from the U of Ga (I think) that fed garlic powder to chickens for the health benefits. They did a blind taste test and people actually seemed to prefer the taste of the "garlic" eggs.

If anyone knows of this article, please chime in with more details and help me refresh my memory.

 

[LoneCowboy]

This is really good to know since my hens found the garlic I was drying in the sun

 

[keljonma]

I have this one in my "chicken files"...

Garlic Perfumes Poultry Houses
Science Daily
Source: Clemson University
Date: November 19, 1998

CLEMSON - Garlic may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of air fresheners, but Clemson University scientists are finding that it works like a charm in poultry houses ... and may lower the cholesterol in eggs, to boot.

"We're feeding the chickens about 3 percent of their diet in garlic powder to mask the odor of the waste," said Glenn Birrenkott, Clemson animal and veterinary science professor. "It makes the poultry house smell like a pizzeria instead of manure."

As urban populations expand into rural areas, the potential increases for conflict between neighborhood sensibilities and farm necessities. As a result, farmers must find creative solutions to produce the meat and eggs suburbanites want in their grocery stores but not in their backyards. Clemson scientists are conducting a variety of studies to address livestock waste management as part of an initiative funded by the South Carolina General Assembly through the South Carolina Agriculture and Forestry Research System based at Clemson.

Birrenkott's research found that it took about three weeks for the garlic to reduce the poultry house odor compared to the odor from a control group of laying hens. The researchers have already conducted taste tests and found that people preferred the eggs produced by the garlic-eating hens.

"The tasters said the eggs were milder from the chickens eating garlic than from the control hens," Birrenkott said. "We think it might reduce the sulfur content of the eggs."

While the chickens adapted to eating garlic right away, hogs in a companion test were more reluctant to accept the new feed.

"Hogs have a very sensitive sense of smell. That's why they're used in France to find truffles," Birrenkott said. After a day or so of boycotting the feed, however, the hogs did cooperate in the study, with similar promising results on odor control. Chemical analyses of the cholesterol content of the eggs and pork are also being conducted.

While the garlic is effective in controlling odor, it is more expensive than basic chicken or hog feed. This means the eggs and pork may require a premium price to be cost effective for commercial producers. However, if the products prove to contain a lower cholesterol level, they could qualify as specialty items because of the health benefit.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by Clemson University.

 

[happyhen]

keljonma, Thank you! That's the article I was searching for.

 

[LoneCowboy]

Why don't they just clean the coop instead of masking the smell?

Sorry had to ask

 

[arlee453]

Very cool article.... now I'm rethinking the garlic thing!