Sugar and chickens

[AA Maple]

I've got about 8 gallons of maple syrup here that I can't sell (too late-season to filter). Can I feed it to chickens? Add it to feed? Add it to fermented feed? It's pretty much going to get dumped on the ground otherwise so I'd just as soon dole it out to the birds rather than let it go to waste.

 

[Toddrick]

I have some extra too. Tag for interest.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My book "Feeding Poultry" by G.F. Heuser (Norton Creek press) mentions molasses and says that molasses is a laxative and must not be fed in large quantities.

It mentions feeding up to 7% molasses, but the downsides are that it increases chick feed intake without increased weight gain, decreases hen laying, and the litter becomes damp from the wetter droppings (they drink more water) which causes more flies to come.

It doesn't mention maple syrup but that is some of what it says about molasses. I love that book- highly recommend it if you like to adjust chicken feed as a hobby.

Not sure about fermented feed. There is a fermented feed thread around here you might ask on.

 

[AA Maple]

My book "Feeding Poultry" by G.F. Heuser (Norton Creek press) mentions molasses and says that molasses is a laxative and must not be fed in large quantities.

It mentions feeding up to 7% molasses, but the downsides are that it increases chick feed intake without increased weight gain, decreases hen laying, and the litter becomes damp from the wetter droppings (they drink more water) which causes more flies to come.

It doesn't mention maple syrup but that is some of what it says about molasses. I love that book- highly recommend it if you like to adjust chicken feed as a hobby.

Not sure about fermented feed. There is a fermented feed thread around here you might ask on.

Meh, I'll be sticking to just buying bagged feed at the local Farmer's Union unless/until I get a big enough flock to buy by the ton. I'm not looking to get too fancy with feeding, just seeing if I could put the syrup to some use... it breaks my heart to dump it on the ground considering even wholesale cost.... and of course the amount of wood and effort that goes into making it.

Thanks for the reply though!.

 

[pdirt]

8 gallons of syrup is a LOT of sugar. It would take likely years to use it up for a normal sized flock (5-30 birds). You might consider giving it to a local pig farmer in trade for some bacon. The pigs should be better able to metabolize the sugar.

I wouldn't compare maple syrup to molasses. Molasses is generally much lower in sugar than maple syrup.