Generally, milk improves the immunity of the chicks, helps in quick feather growth and guards against chick pneumonia.
Consider the following;
Milk is rich in protein, which is a great value to the growing chicks as it helps in building and repairing of muscle tissues and for faster feather growth.
Milk contains calcium, which helps in maintaining their growing body mass and making them have strong bones.
It has potassium that maintain a heathy blood pressure and thus keeping their warm body temperature constant. This also helps in preventing chicken pneumonia.
The phosphorous and vitamin D help in strengthening of bones and generating energy.
Goat’s milk contains vitamins which maintain proper vision.
It is advisable that the milk should be given in small quantities in the morning hours and it should be unpasteurised. A full glass of milk is enough for up to 50 chicks (small-scale poultry). Just pour it their drinkers and let them drink by themselves just the way they consume water. Too much of it causes diarrhoea in chicks.
Although raw milk is highly rich in protein and calcium, it should also make them better layers too. Not everyone can access raw milk, but those that do, this is a great way to use up the extra milk. Spend less on chicken feed and have healthy chicken.
Some farmers ask whether cow milk is not a better option to goat milk?
But Dr Derrick Atwiine advises farmers to use goat milk because it has more calcium, potassium and vitamin in.
For small-scale poultry farmers, perhaps, the best option would be to rear dairy goats as well.
