Hi there Resolution,
I have a question for you that came up while I was reading your scratch grain thread, "Scratch Grain is one way that people can feed their birds without using soy or any imported cereal crops. Finding the appropriate supplements to ameliorate nutrition provided by scratch grain is the next issue. Many people are growing their own crops to feed their poultry and I hope that local farmers will begin to produce milk to make poultry sustenance cheeses. It is also my hope that local meat producers will work harder to provide the sort of meat bi products that were available just a few decades ago- before family operations were largely run out of business by major corporations- but this is not a polemic against anyone but rather in support of--to encourage- the backyard hobbyist and small family farmer to think a bit harder on what they are putting into their birds. " https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=602346&p=7
Would you be so kind to help me get to the bottom of a burning question: can poultry digest milk products? The Oregon State University poultry vets assure me that feeding dairy products to poultry will only give them diarrhea and no nutritional benefit. However, there's a common wisdom that poultry can digest at least fermented milk products. I've been feeding cultured milk products and do see some diarrhea, though less so when I also increase the rations of grains and greens (and reduce amalgamated feed products). Can you help me understand the truth of it?
I'm trying to get my chickens/turkeys off cereal entirely, and have been using as my model the dietary rations outlined in "The Dollar Hen", which call for about 10% meat, 70% grains, and 20% green food (by weight). Protein is my scarcest ration, especially in winter, and I hope that a productive dairy goat will fill the void, if I can just get a handle on the digestion issue.
I also wonder your thoughts on feeding eggs back to adult chickens.
Thanks in advance,
Your Fan,
Junglebird
I have a question for you that came up while I was reading your scratch grain thread, "Scratch Grain is one way that people can feed their birds without using soy or any imported cereal crops. Finding the appropriate supplements to ameliorate nutrition provided by scratch grain is the next issue. Many people are growing their own crops to feed their poultry and I hope that local farmers will begin to produce milk to make poultry sustenance cheeses. It is also my hope that local meat producers will work harder to provide the sort of meat bi products that were available just a few decades ago- before family operations were largely run out of business by major corporations- but this is not a polemic against anyone but rather in support of--to encourage- the backyard hobbyist and small family farmer to think a bit harder on what they are putting into their birds. " https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=602346&p=7
Would you be so kind to help me get to the bottom of a burning question: can poultry digest milk products? The Oregon State University poultry vets assure me that feeding dairy products to poultry will only give them diarrhea and no nutritional benefit. However, there's a common wisdom that poultry can digest at least fermented milk products. I've been feeding cultured milk products and do see some diarrhea, though less so when I also increase the rations of grains and greens (and reduce amalgamated feed products). Can you help me understand the truth of it?
I'm trying to get my chickens/turkeys off cereal entirely, and have been using as my model the dietary rations outlined in "The Dollar Hen", which call for about 10% meat, 70% grains, and 20% green food (by weight). Protein is my scarcest ration, especially in winter, and I hope that a productive dairy goat will fill the void, if I can just get a handle on the digestion issue.
I also wonder your thoughts on feeding eggs back to adult chickens.
Thanks in advance,
Your Fan,
Junglebird