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GENERAL CHEESE MAKING BOARDS (Specific Cheese Making in Boards above) => Problems - Questions - Problems - Questions? => Topic started by: scasnerkay on March 19, 2012, 12:15:17 AM

Title: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: scasnerkay on March 19, 2012, 12:15:17 AM

In about 4 weeks I will be getting my first 3 chickens!! As I was pouring the whey into the compost heap, I was wondering if chickens would like to drink it. Anyone have experience with this? Seems like it would be good for them...
Susan

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Tomer1 on March 19, 2012, 12:51:35 AM

they are omnivores so no reason why they wouldnt eat just about anything.  Its protein ,its water.  Its perfect!
You might want to mix it with some dry matter (grain) which will soak some of the moisture ,that way they can consume it more easly.

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: zenith1 on March 19, 2012, 03:10:01 AM

My organic milk farmer uses all I give to her for her chicks. They love it...

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: george13 on March 19, 2012, 09:40:10 AM

whey is great for farm animals and humans, especially fresh whey (without any added molds/flavor yeasts).  I use it to make bread, I drink it cold before and after a workout, and my pigs love it.  It is particularly good for pigs as they build nice muscle and size without added fat.

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Vina on March 19, 2012, 10:51:32 AM

Quote from: george13 on March 19, 2012, 09:40:10 AM

whey is great for farm animals and humans, especially fresh whey (without any added molds/flavor yeasts).  I use it to make bread, I drink it cold before and after a workout, and my pigs love it.  It is particularly good for pigs as they build nice muscle and size without added fat.

thanks for an idea! Do you know a good source for brad recipes using whey? Or you simply substitute milk / water in any recipe?

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: george13 on March 19, 2012, 12:44:35 PM

just substitute the water with whey for bread.

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Tomer1 on March 19, 2012, 02:00:09 PM

It also boosts the protein content of the bread, most large scale commerical bakeries add whey powder to their breads to get this effect.

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Vina on March 19, 2012, 08:21:56 PM

thank you guys!

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: MrsKK on March 19, 2012, 09:01:10 PM

In the warm weather, we just pour whey over the chicken's grain ration.  In the winter when it would freeze up, we pour it into a heated dog dish.  Many days, they drink up the whey before we are done with doing chores. 

I also feed it to our pigs and meat birds .  They grow really well, but not fatty.  Very good pork and chicken.

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Corina on March 20, 2012, 12:14:32 PM

Wow, what a good ideea with whey in bread as a substitute for milk.
I was feeding the chickens grains with whey, but now I can also do that. Great!

Title: Re: Can chickens have whey to drink?
Post by: Tomer1 on March 20, 2012, 01:13:48 PM

Milk also softens dough because of glutathione which helps to break down gluten, good in cakes but not so good in breads.
Whey must be much poorer in it because I pulled of some great high hydration bagguets with whey for water.