The Poultry Keeper

pjred · Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 243

Stupid question (Probably but I don't care)

I have started to soak some oats/wheat overnight in a bowl with milk, to give to my girls 1st thing in the morning. Is it OK to do that or should I soak in water?
I only give about a cup and half of the oats/wheat mixed together.
Paul

nigel · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 7:46 am Post subject:

There are no stupid question except the ones you don't ask

Milk and poultry is one of those subjects that divides poultry keepers. Personally i have no problem with it. John Seymour, the god of all things self-sufficiency recommends using it to help fatten up poultry for the table. The other point of view is that chickens are lactose intolerant - which may be true I can't see nature equipping chickens with the enzymes to digest milk. I personally haven't seen any ill effects from chickens have [small quantities] of milk

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 9:30 am Post subject:

I soak wheat for my girls overnight in water, with view to sprouting it. But often If I've been slack the just get the overnight soaked version.

Pekinout · Joined: 29 Apr 2008 Posts: 1179 Location: Cornwall

I've never given my fowl milk, apart from milk powder in my breeders ration.

mojo · Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:31 am Post subject:

try a wee bit if they go off colour never feed milk again

Dixie Chicks · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 311 Location: South West Cumbria

Mine don't get milk or milk products as a matter of course, but they do get bio-yoghurt every now and again. Personally, I'd use water to soak the oats/wheat as you're doing it on a regular basis, but I'm not a member of the anti-milk brigade either, so if it works for you, why change it. Laughing

pjred · Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 243

Upto now I've only given it to them twice this week, they seem to really enjoy diving in. But, I'll try the water suggestion over the weekend.

NobbyNobbs · Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject:

i give my chooks oaty meusli type stuff soaked in bio yogurt diluted with water if its been a cold day or they're wet. they absolutely love it and its gone within a minute. i gave them it soaked in milk once before i remembered about the lactose (silly me, i'm lactose intolerant so should've remembered!) and it went straight through them so i'm not trying that one again! personally i prefer to give them the bio yogurt because its good for their digestion anyway, and they get a spoonful out of one of those big tubs and then the people get the rest so its not wasted. by diluting the yogurt i wind up with the consistency of milk so it soaks up fine. they also love weetabix this way, but only get that rarely as i'm not sure they should be having so much wheat

Woodburner · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 4:59 pm Post subject:

NobbyNobbs · Posted: Sat Sep 27, 2008 7:43 pm Post subject:

i can eat yogurt, but only the plain kind, not the ones with cream added. something in the making of milk into yogurt and cheese seems to reduce the lactose (at least thats what i heard). milk makes me sick but seemed to work the other end with the chickens (another common lactose intolerance reaction) i imagine any animal who doesn't gain its early nutrition from milk would be lactose intolerant. they have no need to be able to process it, just like we can't digest grass.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1406 Location: Manchester

many dogs are also lactose intolerant - I have heard of making up finishing food with milk so I don't think all chickens are or even most of them or it would soon have been realised that milk wasn't good for fattening chickens!

Spana · Joined: 30 Apr 2005 Posts: 2240 Location: North Cornwall

Ive tried the JS's fattening method with the bread soaked in milk and didn't find it any better than anything else altho the birds went crazy for it.
Early this year I milked one of my Highland cows untill her calf was able to suck and feed herself. I had loads of milk I couldn't use so the hens got it every day. They loved it and I never had any side effects.

chickens rock your sox · Joined: 22 Jun 2008 Posts: 131 Location: Kildare-Ireland

In books it says not to give milk!!does soaking the wheat not sour it?

pjred · Joined: 15 Jun 2008 Posts: 243

I've been using water now over the last week or so, they seem to snap it up without any hesitation. So water it is from now on.

Kitsune · Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 1406 Location: Manchester