Alfalfa rabbit pellets and bagged alfalfa question

[getreal]

I searched the forums but couldn't the answer I was looking for. My husband's friend brought over some alfalfa rabbit pellets and some loose alfalfa in a bag that his rabbits wouldn't eat. He thought maybe may chickens would eat it. I figure the pellets would be alright to peck at but wasn't sure about the loose stuff. Will it cause a packed crop? Most of it looks to be around 5-6" long. My girls don't free range. They will get grass clippings occasionally.

 

[cavemanrich]

I use both the Alfalfa pellets intended as rabbit feed, and alfalfa hay. I use the hay as bedding instead of straw, or wood shavings inside coop. The pellets I use as a source of greens during winter. The chickens do eat the pellets, but very little. (meaning, the free-choice bowl last pretty long time) I heard of peeps feeding the pellets wet/soaked. I only offered them dry.
I suppose my chickens do eat some of the alfalfa hay, they scratch thru it always.
I never encountered impacted crop in my flock for over 20 years. I only keep a small flock of hens, and as pets only. Do eat the eggs. All my chickens do live into Golden Years of RETIREMENT.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

We have 3 rabbits in addition to our flock, and one of the rabbits hutch is right in the coop, so any fallen alfalfa pellets fall to the chickens. It's certainly not a favorite, but I assume they eat a little bit.

Hay from the rabbit also falls through the bottom of the cage, and the hens do eat some of the smaller pieces. Like cavemanrich, I haven't ever had issues with impacted crop, but if you were worried, you could always trim the hay down to shorter lengths with a pair of scissors.

Maybe making "hay snacks" for you chickens sounds silly, but most of us have done far sillier for our flocks!