Lactose confusion

[kuntrychick]

I was just wondering about chickens being lactose intolerant. I know I've read about giving them buttermilk & yogurt (which mine love) & cottage cheese.

I know the buttermilk & yogurt have the active cultures which is good probiotics, but are they not lactose?

I just wasn't sure where to draw the line on the dairy or non-dairy dry milk for that matter.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I have found that lactose intolerance usually relates to processed milk. Chickens raised around dairy cows and given raw milk seem to thrive very well and live long lives. They eat and drink a lot of dairy products but know their limits, too.

I was diagnosed many years ago as being lactose intolerant. Funny enough, it is only homogenized milk that causes problems. Fresh cow or goats milk never hurts me. Too many stupid "improvements" to our food causes the problems, not the way God made it.

 

[jeepguy982001]

i was wondering the same thing.

 

[elmo]

Here's a good article on the subject:

http://www.exoticpetvet.net/avian/dairy.html

 

[galanie]

So there you have it, from a vet. Quoting from the article linked above:

"Some milk products do not contain lactose, such as cottage cheese and other types of cheese. Generally, it is thought that it is safe to offer yogurt and cheese, although products that contain lactose are probably safe, if offered in small amounts. Interestingly, live culture yogurt does contain lactose when it is produced; however the live organisms in the yogurt consume the lactose, eventually removing the lactose entirely from the yogurt before it is consumed! "

I've heard many say that yogurt has lactose and that cheese and so forth does too, but I've questioned that. Now it seems that it doesn't after all.

Agreed on the processed milk. I never liked milk at all till I drank some raw milk. Oh My what a difference! Turns out it's not the milk I hate, it's what we do to it. Of course without pasteurizing many would be unable to get safe milk, but if you have access to some, do give it a try. My son is very interested in diet and nutrition and tells me that while raw milk does have lactose in it, it's a different form somehow than it is after processing. I don't understand it completely, but it does make sense when you realize that so many people have fed their chickens raw milk w/out any bad consequences.

 

[ScottyHOMEy]

Quote:
What's the source of your concern?

 

[Chris09]

Here is some reading on feeding milk to chickens.

International Ingredient Corporation Dustin Dean, Ph.D. and Kevin Halpin, Ph.D.
http://www.iicag.com/research summary.htm

American Association of Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry
http://books.google.com/books?id=MA...page&q=studies on giving poultry milk&f=false

Poultry world, Volumes 5-6
http://books.google.com/books?id=VC...AEwBw#v=onepage&q=giving poultry milk&f=false

Chris

 

[dragonlair]

I've been feeding raw goat milk to my chickens for 30 some odd years with no problems at all. I mix it with their crumbles. I do also make yogurt and other milk based products for their dining pleasure, but they get milk daily. It sure helps keep those eggs nice and strong.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

Quote:
Experience! I love it! Thank you and I bow to your knowledge.

 

[elmo]

I remember reading about an old "cure" for worms was to give milk to the chickens. I suppose since enough milk will cause the chickens to get the runs, and since worms probably come out with the diarrhea, people thought this was curing the infestation.