powdered milk

[sambia62]

would and can you milk dry powdered milk in with your chicken feed will it help with the calcium chickens need for egg laying ?

 

[sambia62]

sorry that was supposed to be can you mix it in with your feed what if any will be the benefits

 

[Imp]

I have sprinkled powdered milk on the food, but not in a long time. It would add to the calcium, protein, and several other nutrients intake.

Why do you think your chickens are deficient in calcium? thin or soft shells?

Chickens are lactose intolerant and cannot digest the lactose. But I have not read anything about it not being good for them.

Imp

 

[sambia62]

Imp no they have not even started laying as if yet they are just 5 months old i just wanted to know i like to give the the best possible meals and i get the powdered milk for free and since we dont use it in the house i figuerd the chicken may benefit from it

 

[galanie]

Quote:
Goodness! Free? Then, Why not? I doubt there's any lactose problem with dry powdered milk, I see no reason not to.

 

[Erica]

I make mashes with powdered milk that's been mixed into a liquid, then soured. That way they don't cop the lactose (which I've heard can cause diarrhea).

But my old chicken husbandry book reckons skim milk powder is a really good additive. The only problem with feeding it to layers is that it can upset the calcium-phosphorus ratio. Basically layers need much more calcium than phosphorus. If there's too much phosphorus they can't absorb enough calcium.

Even at the levels I'm currently feeding (a liter-and-a-half of soured made-up skim milk per feed bucket) I'm not seeing thin eggshells, but these things can be slow to show up. If I do see thin eggshells I'll back off the milk. Shell grit in a hopper is essential.

Top feed if properly used,
cheers
Erica

 

[sambia62]

I have the bags stored in the freezer right now should I wait til they start laying and then mix it in or should I do it now ?

 

[dragonlair]

I don't feed powdered milk, I feed fresh goat milk to my girls of all ages. They get some every day mixed with their crumbles. Their egg shells are nice and thick and the only time I have thin shells are when the goats are dry and the hens don't get any milk. They do get oyster shells free choice, but the milk seems to work better for them.

 

[clucksbc]

I say...go for it...to much calcium couldn't be bad...
my only question would be...what chemicals are involved in the drying process...
would on an ongoing basis wary of that...
You don\ want to be giving them to much with a fat content...a little is fine...
if this is whole milk,,,wouldn't want to be doing it every day...