Chickens are omnivorous birds and have varied diets. Chicken owners can feed chickens worms, meats, small animals, vegetables, seeds, and fruits.
However, can chickens eat cheese? While cheese is safe for chickens but only in small quantities. Since chickens are lactose intolerant, too much cheese can cause diarrhea and other illnesses.
What Cheese varieties are safe for Chickens?
Now that we have answered this question: Can chickens eat cheese? Here are the cheese varieties that are safe for chickens:
Cottage Cheese
You can blend soft varieties of cheese with different foods for chickens. One of the best soft cheeses for chickens is cottage cheese. However, since this cheese is gooey, don’t feed it to your chickens as it is.
Goat Cheese
Goat cheese is better than cow cheese because it has a low sodium and lactose content. Also, goat cheese has a lower fat content than cow cheese, which makes the cheese easier to digest for chickens.
Moldy Cheese
Moldy cheese is an occasional excellent treat for chickens, and this cheese is safe for chickens because it is cultured with penicillin. Blue or moldy cheese also has antibacterial properties, boosting immunity in chickens.
Shredded Cheese
It is easier for chickens and other bird species to consume shredded cheese, which is a dry variety of cheese and easier for the chickens to absorb.
However, you should avoid heavily processed cheese with solid flavors such as spices and seasonings. For instance, you should avoid American cheese at all costs because it is tough to digest for chickens and offers little nourishment to them.
While Mozzarella cheese is fine for chickens, block cheeses are not since they are tough to break and digest for chickens.
Does Cheese offer any Health Benefits to Chickens?
Cheese contains nutrients, healthy protein, and fats. Here are some health benefits that cheese can offer to chickens:
High Calcium content
Calcium is essential for chickens because it is crucial to their egg production. That said, chickens need calcium from other sources because their bodies don’t produce nutrients. You can add cheese to the chickens’ diet; it is a natural calcium source.
Cheese contains Healthy Fats
While you don’t want your chickens to become obese, the chickens need to have a healthy weight. The egg-producing process requires a lot of energy, and chickens who don’t have an optimal weight will struggle to create sufficient energy.
Cheese contains CLA (Conjugated Lincoln Acid), a healthy form of fat. This fat can aid in reducing inflammation and is known for preventing heart disease and obesity in chickens.
High Protein content
Cheese is rich in protein, especially casein protein. The casein protein is slow-digesting and consists of amino acids necessary for muscle repair and growth in chickens.
Many body systems in chickens depend on protein, and the nutrient contributes to feather growth and a healthy immune system.
How to feed Chicken Cheese?
Here are some ways you can feed cheese to your chickens:
Sliced or Cut Cheese
Sliced or cut cheese is more manageable for birds such as chickens. Chickens can easily eat and digest sliced or cut cheese.
Mix Cheese slices with the Regular Feed
You can also serve cheese to chickens by mixing it with their regular feed. This way, your chickens will get all the benefits that cheese offers.
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Conclusion
In this article, we answered an important question: Can chickens eat cheese? Cheese in small quantities is safe for chickens. We also discussed the benefits cheese can provide to chickens and how you can feed cheese to your birds.
