My chickens are eating my rabbits food

[playnationnj]

My four Rhode Island Reds share a large area with my flemish rabbit. The rabbit has his own house (much like a dog house) and in it he has a large dog bowl full of rabbit pellets. When the hens are out of their pen and roaming about, they head straight for the rabbits food. Any harm in this?...rabbit doesn't seem to mind, but i don't want them to fill up on food that may not be suitable for them. Today I got one of the largest eggs I have ever seen! could it have anything to do with the food?

Jim P

 

[Blondie]

My chickens eat the goats' food. Doesn't seem to bother them.

 

[Frizzledhen]

Is it ok to let my baby bunnies eat medicated chick food? I know nothing about bunnies but went to a chicken swap today and brought home 2 itty bitty bunnys. I put the bunnys in a med. dog crate in the chick pen. Before I got back out of the pen the little stinkers squezzzzed out of the crate. The chicks all scattered but didn't really seem too afraid. They are about twice the size of the bunnys. The bunnys went straight to the chick feed and started to eat. At first I thought it was probably ok but then realized that it was medicated. With a little ingenuity, the bunnys are now safe back in the crate with rabbit food. Should I worry about them eating the medicated chick food?

Gayle
Chi lady in Michigan

 

[NewHopePoultry]

I have herd that feeding rabbit food to poultry can be good for them. I remember reading that in poultry food, dead birds are grinded up in them and stuff.

 

[Picco]

Rabbit food is fine to feed to chickens in fact some people mix thier own ration and use rabbit pellets as a base. I don't think the medicated chick feed is safe for rabbits though. Rabbits are very sensitive to antibiotics so the feed may harm them. A bit here and there is probably harmless but if it is eaten regularly you could run into problems. See if you can find non medicated feed to use.

 

[Frizzledhen]

Quote:
Thanks Picco. The baby rabbits only ate a little of the medicated chick feed and I do not plan on feeding it to them in the future, medicated or not. I will feed my rabbits rabbit food. I may try feeding the chickens some rabbit food though.

Gayle
Chi lady in Michigan