IS MOLASSES IN CHICKEN FEED GOOD FOR CHICKENS

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Is molasses
in chicken feed good for chickens

Molasses, especially black strap molasses, can be an important addition to your chicken feed. Although too much molasses causes diarrhea, a small amount can benefit your chicken’s health.

Molasses comes from sugar cane and is a byproduct of sugar production. Although it contains vitamins and minerals, molasses is just sugar.

Why add molasses to chicken feed?

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There are several reasons why manufacturers add molasses to chicken feed:

As a source of nutrition or energy.

To make the feed sweet and tasty for the chicken.

To disguise off flavors or sub standard ingredients.

As a binder, especially in pellets.

To reduce dust .

To make a powder, such as a vitamin and mineral supplement, stick to other feed.

Because it’s cheap.

Is molasses good for chickens?

Molasses usually contains high levels of essential nutrients, including calcium, iron, potassium and magnesium. Some studies have shown that it improves the health of birds.

But even a small amount of molasses can cause problems for backyard chicken keepers. For starters, molasses makes chickens thirsty and increases water consumption. This means that you need to keep a close eye on your water supply and refill it frequently.

But molasses also causes wetter, looser droppings because it has a mild laxative effect. That means a messier coop and more cleaning, not to mention more opportunities for parasites and diseases to spread between birds.

Additionally, the wetter dropping and molasses itself will attract more flies and other unwanted insects to the coop.

It is clear that it is not useful to feed your chickens extra molasses, as it has little effect on egg production and can reduce feed conversion.

But if you have chickens that have eaten toxic, molasses can be used at home flush because of its laxative effect.

Molasses in feed vs. molasses coated feed – What’s the Difference?

Molasses can be used as a binder in pellet feed. In this case, the feed will not be soft and usually only a small amount of molasses is used.

But a mixture of coarse grains is common.. Adding molasses to the corn mixture can improve its nutritional value by making the unpleasant taste of the hot chickpeas and by helping the vitamin and mineral powder stick to other feed ingredients.