Can chickens eat cheese?
Yes, they can!
Checking what to feed your birds is a part of raising chickens on the homestead.
I, as a passionate homesteader, am always on the lookout for the healthiest treats for my flock.
So, I fully researched feeding chickens with cheese and got to know multiple important facts.
At my Ninja Homestead, I have been feeding my birds yummy cheese since then.
Here, I’m going to tell you everything I know about feeding chickens with cheese.
So, what are we waiting for?
Can chickens eat cheese scraps?
Since chickens can eat cheese, cheese scraps are also safe for the feathery flock. But, it’s important to avoid overfeeding your chickens with cheese scraps. Too much food will lead to digestive issues and underlying health problems such as obesity and heart attack in your chickens.
While measuring the number of cheese scraps for your flock, it’s also important to check the other ingredients. If your cheese scraps also contain other ingredients like raw potato or fruit pits, it can be harmful to your birds. So, always make sure they peck at safe and healthy kitchen scraps.
You need to maintain a balanced diet for your chickens to ensure healthy growth. While a good amount of commercial feed will be ideal for your birds, feeding them kitchen scraps, certain fruits, and veggies is also necessary. But, rotating these meals is something that you must do.
Can chickens eat cheese or not is clear now but what about the health benefits? Let’s find out now!
Is it good to feed chickens cheese?
Cheese is a source of healthy nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, protein, vitamins A, B12, D, K2, selenium, etc.
Feeding cheese to your chickens in moderation can benefit them in multiple ways. Here are some of the health benefits of cheese for chickens.
9 Reasons Cheese Is Incredible For Chickens
Good Bone Health
Dense with calcium and vitamins, cheese provides chickens with healthy bone development. Bone issues such as osteoporosis and others are common in chickens, which can be prevented with cheese. Your birds will also be protected from bone fractures and fragile bones.
Good Muscle Health
The calcium present in cheese can help chickens with good muscular movements. Proper muscle movements of chickens are not only essential for keeping chickens active and agile but also for their overall health. For this reason, feeding your chickens with cheese can be beneficial.
Healthy Nervous System
Dense in calcium and essential vitamins, cheese also increases the transmission of vascular and nervous functions of chickens, while improving their hormonal levels. If you feed your chickens with cheese occasionally, their nervous system will run smoothly, leading to a healthy life.
Healthy Weight Gain
If your chickens are weak and not gaining weight as they’re supposed to, feeding them with cheese can help. That’s because cheese is filled with protein, fat and other macronutrients, making it a perfect supplement for your birds. If you’re raising chickens for meat, it can really help.
Energy and Vitality
Since cheese contains a high amount of fat and it’s a calorie-dense food, your chickens will remain active throughout the day. If you’re wondering what to feed your chickens for energy and vitality, cheese is one of the best options. But, make sure you don’t end up overfeeding.
Better Immune System
Cheese, just like curd and other dairy products, contains probiotic bacteria. Chickens often have problems with the aging immune system, also known as immunosenescence. Cheese with its probiotics can lead to a better immune system in chickens, especially the older ones.
Healthy Digestive System
The probiotic bacteria present in cheese function in their body by breaking down foods easily. As a result, the digestive system of your birds will improve when they are fed cheese. A healthy digestive system is the key to your chicken’s health, which you can ensure in this way.
Better Eggs Production
Are you raising chickens in your homestead for eggs and still unsatisfied with the result? Then, feeding your chickens with cheese may probably help. Cheese, filled with calcium and selenium, can provide chickens with better egg production. It also helps to keep eggshells strong.
Good Heart Health
For the healthy heart health of chickens, nutrients like vitamin A, riboflavin, vitamin K2, and zinc are essential. Cheese contains all these ingredients in the right proportion. So, to ensure the healthy heart functions of your birds, you can include a little bit of cheese in their weekly diet.
Why do chickens like cheese?
Chickens love to eat cheese just like we do.
The taste of cheese is a mix of salty, tangy, and others that chickens may be able to detect considering the fact that they can detect sour and salty taste. But, that’s totally my presumption as I can see my birds are quite fond of cheese.
Another reason could be the texture of the cheese, which isn’t too hard. Chickens don’t have teeth and that’s why they prefer soft food to peck at and swallow.
Also, chickens love to peck at their treats during the whole day and cheese makes a perfect option for that.
How to feed chickens cheese?
Most types of cheese have a soft texture, which makes them easy for chickens to consume.
You can either treat your chickens with whole cheese or cut it depending on the pecking capability of your flock.
Cheese Blocks
Since chickens can peck at whole cheese, you can treat your chickens with a small cheese block. But, if you notice that your chickens are unable to peck at it, there are other methods.
Sliced, Cut, or Grated Cheese
Cheddar and some other types of cheese tend to get harder in winter. If you think your birds won’t be able to peck at the whole cheese, you can feed them sliced, cut, or grated cheese as well.
Cheese Scraps
If your kitchen scraps contain cheese, you can feed that to your chickens. But, make sure it doesn’t contain sugar, salt, oil, and other unhealthy ingredients.
Which type of cheese to feed your chickens?
Now, you must be wondering which type of cheese would be the best supplement for your chickens. Well, anything from goat cheese to mozzarella, cheddar, brie, gouda, and cottage cheese can be given to chickens. Though they vary in acidic content, all are safe for your birds in moderation.
Goat cheese, made of goat milk, is high in multiple nutrients. Though it contains a higher amount of acid than cheese made from cow milk, it’s considered safe for chickens. But, since goat cheese is slightly more aromatic than other types of cheese, make sure your chickens like it.
On the other hand, shredded mozzarella, cheddar, brie, and gouda are made from cow milk. These are also ideal options for chickens. You can also consider cottage cheese, which is softer than others. You can consider mixing cottage cheese with other feeds for feeding your chickens.
Is cheese toxic for chickens?
No, cheese in general isn’t toxic or unsafe for chickens.
But, you need to make sure that you feed a small amount. Feeding your chickens with cheese only twice or once a week is enough. If you overfeed, that can lead to mild or severe health issues.
Feeding too much cheese to your chickens can lead to obesity as cheese contains a high amount of fat. Other health issues like fatty liver, lower fertility, and oversized eggs are also some alarming factors to check. So, make sure you measure the amount.
Can chickens eat cheese? Yes, now you know that they can! But, what about the other dairy products? Let’s find out!
Which dairy products are safe for chickens?
Though cheese is safe for chickens, not all types of dairy products are.
For example, yogurt and milk are the two most common types of dairy products. High in lactose and sugars, these products aren’t safe food options for chickens.
Cow milk contains the highest amount of lactose among all kinds of dairy products. This is why, you need to avoid giving your chickens cow milk. As an alternative, you can give them non-lactose milk or low-fat skimmed milk.
Goat milk, on the other hand, is safer for chickens than cow milk. Also, raw milk will be a better option for your birds than pasteurized milk. Yogurt, in a very small amount, is also safe as it contains a lower amount of lactose than cow milk.
If you notice any problem in your chickens after consuming dairy products, it means your birds are unable to process these foods. You need to totally stop giving your chickens dairy products in such cases. If you notice any discomfort or other issues, consulting a veterinarian will be the best option.
Common health issues in chickens after feeding dairy products include abdominal pain, diarrhea, and gas. You need to check for these issues while including dairy products in your flock’s diet. If they seem to be happy and active, there’s no need to worry.
If you don’t want to feed your chickens with dairy products and yet ensure enough calcium in their meals, you can think of alternative options. I can recommend crushed oyster shells, which are healthier and safer for your birds.
Can I give my chickens pizza?
It’s okay to give your chickens a very small amount of kitchen scraps including pizza. But, you also need to consider that pizza contains salt, sugar, fats, and carbs. For this reason, checking if your chickens are feeling healthy after eating pizza is a must.
Can a chicken eat a Cheeto?
Cheese puffs or Cheeto is okay for chickens but in a small amount. If you overfeed your chickens with these foods, it can lead to weight gain and other health problems. Cheetos contain a high amount of fat, which is the reason you need to measure the amount.
Conclusion
So, can chickens eat cheese?
Now, you know that they can be in moderation. Cheese is high in multiple healthy nutrients, which is why you can use it as your chicken treat.
But, make sure you prepare a balanced diet for your chickens. Their diet should include fruits, vegetables, and commercial feed in proper amounts.
Also, make sure your chickens like and enjoy what you are feeding them.
Below is a Pinterest friendly photo…. so you can pin it to your Homestead Lifestyle Board!!
