Can chickens eat rabbit pellets?

[NinnyGillaspie]

My BIL is a trashman, and found some 10# bags of rabbit star perfromance pellets. In these times, saving money is a blessing. That is if it is safe to give to my chickens.

 

[laseterlass]

I use alfalfa cubes in the winter when there is no grass for the hens to graze on. I soak them in warm water and store them in the fridge. Mix them with some warm plain oatmeal every morning. Rabbit pellets are the same I think.

 

[elmo]

What are the ingredients?

 

[Chick Charm]

I've watched my hens eat from the rabbits food before. The nutritional requirements are different and so I wouldn't feed your chickens rabbit food if that is what you are asking.

 

[ZombieChickens]

You could always sell them and use the money to buy chicken food.

 

[NinnyGillaspie]

I'll have to go get it, and look at the ingredients.

 

[laseterlass]

I am not sure if they are alfalfa. BUT if they are. They swell ALOT when gotten wet. I would soak them first and only as a treat. In the summer my hens prefer the grass and bugs from the yard over all else. My feed bill went to almost nothing, which was fine with me.

 

[ranit]

Shouldn't hurt them but I probably wouldn't give as a sole ration. I tried to give my ducks some rabbit pellets one time (just to get them by until I could get more of their feed the next morning). They wouldn't touch it. Might have been because they weren't used to pellets.

 

[pennstatezim]

My chickens have had rabbit pellets before when i use to have my rabbits with my goats and chickens and the chickens would eat the rabbit feed and the goat feed more then the rabbits and goats would.

 

[NinnyGillaspie]

If they can eat it, I would only give maybe 10% mixed with the food, and scraps they get every evening. If they can't, then I'll pay it forward to someone who has rabbits.