Raw sourdough for chickens?

[Altairsky]

Couldn't find a discussion about this. There is a lot of talking about the benefits of fermented food for chickens like yoghurt, sauerkraut, fermented seeds, but what about homemade sourdough? Can it be administered to chickens from time to time?

 

[Krugerrand]

I don't know ... but I'm curious to hear what others say!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Yes. We toss excess starter to our birds from time to time. *DO* keep in mind its high carb, relatively low protein, and the vitamins its high in are largely the water soluables the birds will excrete if they are in excess. So best to treat it as a treat, rahter than a dietary staple. Or use it to jump start ferments of your regular feed, since its already loaded with desired critters.

Most of what you read (here and elsewhere) on the benefits of cultured foods oversells its actual effects, significantly. Take it with a grain of salt - many are simply repeating what they've heard, and have neither read the research, nor measured the effects themselves in a controlled environment against a reference/nul hypothesis.