Adult chickens are not picky eaters and will forage through anything you put in their coup. However, baby chicks are quite different because of their size. When trying to offer them a varied and healthy diet, many considerations for different foods crop up, and you wonder, what can chickens eat, and what can chickens not eat?
Human foods are typically a no go because of the processing that goes into them. However, you might think, can chickens have cheese and other dairy products? So, when raising chickens, can we give them cheese as chicken treats?
In our guide, you can learn more about cheese as an occasional treat as not all cheeses are the same. By the end, you’ll know much more about which cheeses chickens can eat, and what it does to the chicken’s body. (Learn Can Chickens Eat Sweet Potato Vines)
Can Chickens Eat Cheese?
Cheese is a versatile and widely consumed item in most households, so is it possible for chickens to eat cheese?
Chickens can eat and love to eat cheese. However, as it is a fatty food, the amount you feed them as chicken treats should be kept to a minimum.
However, as chicken breeders, you should be aware of the types of cheese safe for your chickens.
Vitamins, nutrients, and healthy bacteria are all included in cheese. Consumption of these can lead to a healthy life and increase egg quality.
Chickens eat dry foods, so you can find not all wet cheeses are suitable.
How Much Cheese To Feed Your Chickens
Cheese and other dairy products are not harmful, although too much of these foods could be.
Cheese has a variety of nutrients that your chickens will appreciate. It is high in calories, calcium, and vitamin D.
Cheese is an excellent supplement to a chickens’ diet when they lack these and other nutrients, especially come the winter when they need to stay warm.
Too much cheese fed to chickens can lead to them becoming obese. Besides this, other health issues can arise, such as large eggs, fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, and decreased fertility.
With this, you should stick to around 10% of your birds’ diet should comprise cheese because of the high-fat content.
Cheese Chickens Can Eat
1. Goat Cheese
Goat cheese is made from goat milk and is no worse than cow cheese because goat’s milk is lactose-free milk compared to cow’s milk.
Moreover, goats cheese contains lower fat content that is simpler for birds to digest.
2. Cottage Cheese
You can also mix very soft cheese with other treats, with cottage cheese being the finest choice. However, cottage cheese can be a little sticky, so don’t give these dairy products to your birds as they are.
Chickens can eat cheese, yet they could struggle with something so wet and sticky.
3. Moldy Cheese
Moldy cheese is not the same as moldy food. The moldy cheese you find is made from cultured penicillin, which is an excellent addition to your chickens’ diet.
Your chickens’ immunity can be boosted by eating these cheeses with mold in them. Blue cheese is the top example as they contain antibacterial qualities and are made from cow milk.
4. Mozzarella Cheese
You can feed Mozzarella to your chickens in shredded or in blocks. Chickens eat both types of Mozzarella, and they are healthy as they are one of the least acidic cheeses you can give your birds.
5. Shredded Cheese
Chickens eat shredded cheese quickly because of the size. In addition, this dry cheese easily blends into their regular feed and is more accessible for chickens to digest.
However, you need to avoid cheese that’s been heavily processed cheese and also seasoned. American cheese, as an example, is one to avoid and hard for chickens to digest.
Above are the best cheeses to feed your chickens. They all contain protein that decreases blood pressure and enhances nutrition absorption, thus improving egg production. (Read Can Chickens Eat Mangoes)
Health Benefits When Chickens Eat Cheese
Feed Cheese To Promote Bone Health
Cheese has protein, magnesium, calcium, vitamins A, D, K, and zinc. All these nutrients support bones and your overall chicken health. They can also contribute to proper bone development in humans and chickens. They prevent osteoporosis.
Vitamin D and calcium help build strong bones and maintain a healthy nervous system. With strong bones, your chickens won’t be deformed. Conversely, lacking calcium and vitamins causes weak, porous bones, and adult chickens can easily fracture.
Cheese Helps Chickens Gain Weight
You can help chickens gain weight without causing harm. Feeding cheese can help broilers gain weight, for example, a boost market value or size if you want to eat chickens.
Cheese’s fat, protein, minerals, and vitamins are suitable for birds. Also, it has more calories than other foods, making it an energy-dense treat for chickens.
Careful when feeding cheese to chickens. This food can cause chickens to become obese, so you need to add low-energy foods such as fruits and vegetables to their diet.
Cheese Is Calcium-Rich
Calcium is the most common mineral; it can heal chickens and help them in other areas.
Calcium is also a key component when producing eggs; more calcium can lead to better-quality eggshells.
Feed chickens calcium-rich foods to replace what they lose, and you can avoid giving them additional supplements to gain what they can get from eating cheddar cheese, as an example to prevent soft shells.
Cheese is Full of Protein
Protein regulates, repairs, forms, and protects body parts. It’s one of the beneficial nutrients essential to your chicken’s diet.
First, it boosts their immune system, proper fluid balance, and feathers. Protein deficiency causes health shrinkage and fluid retention.
Protein-rich foods such as cheddar cheese are needed because the body can’t store it. So, give your flock adequate protein in their daily meal.
At least 2 to 3 servings of protein-rich chicken food daily are enough.
Cheddar cheese adds protein as your chickens need low-moisture cheese.
It is best to avoid cottage cheese and cheese spreads—high-fat, low-protein cheeses. Cheese is the best source of protein for a flock of chickens.
Any cheese made from skimmed low-fat milk will offer less, yet it can still be a healthy dairy product to add as a treat. (Read Can Chickens Eat Dried Split Peas)
Cheese Promotes a Healthy Immune System
Studies suggest feeding chickens cheese and dairy products boosts their immune system.
Cheese contains probiotic bacteria, which can enhance your chicken’s immune system.
Cheese probiotics resemble gut bacteria, and you’ll find most of your chicken’s immune system is in their gut.
Cheese breaks down into probiotic bacteria and boosts hens’ immune systems.
Cheddar cheese helps maintain a strong immune system as it can bring gut-healthy probiotic bacteria to the body. Mozzarella cheese, as is goat cheese, which is healthy and is less acidic.
How is Cheese Processed?
Milk is examined for quality and purity before creating cheese. After this, it’s standardized. Finally, it’s weighed, heated, and pasteurized to kill bacteria.
After pasteurization, cheesemakers add beneficial bacteria called cultures. Cultures determine cheese’s texture and flavor. Nope. Adding rennet, a milk clotting enzyme thickens the cheese to resemble custard.
During thickening, cheesemakers slice it to separate whey from curds. Later, curds are boiled slowly to produce soft cheeses. Harder cheeses such as Cheddar cheese are sometimes made from the same curds.
The curd is boiled and stirred to achieve the required hardness and temperature. Draining the whey leaves a curd. Next, the curds are salted and pressed for 3 to 12 hours. The altered curd is then aged for weeks or years.
Shredded cheese is nothing more than something such as cheddar cheese that has been grated. (Read Can Chickens Eat Papaya Seeds)
Cheese Chickens Can’t Eat
No, not at all! Moldy Cheese (Blue Cheese): Blue cheese is moldy cheese that chickens cannot eat. Mold and leftover food can also be dangerous to your pet chicken. Never try to feed it to your pet because it is potentially harmful to their health.
Your pet chicken should not eat any stale food. Blue cheese is prepared with cultured penicillin, which gives it a blue or green streaked appearance.
Blue cheese can have antibacterial properties that are beneficial to your chicken’s immunity.
- String Cheese: String cheese is a type of cheese that contains no nutrients and is difficult for chickens and other birds to eat. String cheese is a low-moisture cheese that is stretched in this manner.
- Parmesan Cheese: Parmesan cheese is a firm Italian cheese that goes well with chicken. Because of its rough texture, parmesan cheese is not suggested for feeding your pet chicken as it is too fine and hard to swallow.
Chickens are genetically programmed to eat dry foods. So, you should avoid wet cheeses because they can’t eat wet food.
Cheese spreads, ricotta, and Parmesan cheese are all examples of moist cheese (Hard Texture). Unfortunately, these moist cheeses have a higher fat content than proteins, causing various health issues in chickens.
High-processed cheeses, as well as flavored cheeses, should be avoided at all costs.
Never feed your chicken a cheese that contains herbs or flavors since it could be toxic. To minimize any issues, research before giving your chicken Cheese is always an essential idea.
Can Chickens Eat Cheese Balls?
You can feed cheese balls to your chickens. They are made from cow’s milk and are safe. However, they are fatty, and when you feed cheese with this fat content, you need to limit the amount chickens eat.
Can Chickens Eat Cheese Rind?
The cheese rind is the outside shell of the cheese and is usually generated during the cheese-making process.
Most of these are edible and natural, so chickens can eat cheese rinds.
Chickens can eat cheese rind, but only in moderation. Because it’s a dairy product, chickens can’t digest it very well, much like block cheese.
Can Chickens Eat Cheese Puffs?
Chickens can eat cheese puffs, and it is perfectly safe for them to do so. But only in moderation; chickens love cheese puffs and will keep eating as much as you offer them.
