Can chickens eat horse feed?

[woodmort]

The short answer is that chickens can eat anything--some of which is good for them,some isn't. Most learn the difference so if they're surviving on it let 'em eat.

 

[Cheepers Peepers]

My baby chicks range between one and half weeks to three weeks old. I feed them starter food. I have a 50 lb bag of horse pellets and 50 lb bag of goat, horse, and cow pellets that I now have no need for. Can I mash it up and give them a little with their starter feed everyday? I hate to waste it.

 

[Compost King]

I ended up with Goat Feed due to a mistake I made when buying feed, Chickens refused to eat it even when I mixed them up with Egg yolks... so I mixed the pellets with my left over morning coffee and put them in my worm bins and I suddenly had a massive amount of maggots. Chickens feasted on the maggots. It composted at quite a high heat and worms haven't touched any that I have seen but I bet the worms are going through it in the bottom bin because its been there a while. Chickens love maggots and only kinda like worms so maybe the maggots turned out to be quite the blessing.

 

[Cheepers Peepers]

As wonderful as that would be for the chicks, I can stomach a lot of things but maggots are not one of them. I may try and see if they will have a handful as a treat, if not I will give the remainder to a friend that has horses and goats. Thanks for the reply.

 

[ChickenWaterer]

As other posters have stated, a little horse feed is not likely to hurt your girls. However, feed formulations for horses and chickens are different because their nutritional needs are different. Chickens need plenty of calcium because they need it to produce eggs. If you feed your chickens only horse food, they may not get enough calcium to produce strong egg shells. I don't buy horse food so I can't compare the nutritional information with certainty.

 

[Folly's place]

Horse feeds vary greatly, and none of it is meant as a sole diet for chickens. The birds can get some, no problem, but not as a big part of their diet.
Maggots are fine, unless they aren't. And spoiled feed is never fine, and neither might the maggots be who are feeding on it.
Mary

 

[Chickassan]

Wonder if they'll run faster on horse feed?

 

[Folly's place]

Chicken running races? Who knew?
Mary

 

[Chickassan]

I'd watch it.

Chicken running races? Who knew?
Mary

 

[TheOneAndOnlyEggMontoya]

I keep my chicken and horse feed in the same feed room in the barn. The bags are next to each other and I set up their feed at the same time. Would it hurt if some of the horse feed got into the chicken feed. I feed Safechoice/Nutrina and Eggmaker.

You should worry about getting chicken feed in your horse feed