Can chickens have cat food?

[Nutcase]

Cat food is really high in protein. my chickens eat it all the time. But don't replace staple grain with cat biscuits! And its best to feed it as a weekly treat!

 

[KristyHall]

they can eat it, I suppose, but I personally don't give it to them. It is not formulated for them, it may contain ingredients not meant to be fed to animals being raised for food, it often contains chicken in it, and it is more expensive than chicken feed.

 

[Nutcase]

I agree with KristyHall about the chicken in cat food. Chooks were NOT created to be cannibals and of that I am sure!

 

[my sunwolf]

I agree with KristyHall about the chicken in cat food. Chooks were NOT created to be cannibals and of that I am sure!

I'm not sure of this one yet

I try not to feed them chicken from the grocery, but if I roast one of their brothers in the oven, I usually feed leftover pieces back to the flock. Every time I'm killing extra roos, the hens all come over to peck at the blood. When there's solid research done on the ill effects of this, I'll reconsider, but since I know where my own flock's been I see no reason to discourage it.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

Thanks everyone for the helpful tips and tricks. I will start only giving it to them as a treat. A few of you said that you shouldn't feed meat chickens cat food, but my chickens are all just pets
I'll start giving my chickens leftovers, because we always have those.

Sphynxcrazy I read somewhere that beans have to be cooked as well. I probably won't do beans. I don't want to risk hurting them. :/

 

[dreamcatcherarabians]

My chickens aren't so bad about it now, but for awhile there the cats were getting shoved out of the bowls. You see cat, chicken, chicken, chicken, cat and they'd steal their few bits of kibble and then go on out to free range. The cats finally revolted and started swatting hens, they have cut waaaaaaay back on how much they try to steal now. I never saw any difference in them when they stole the cat food vs when they don't, I think a very little bit won't hurt them.

 

[KristyHall]

I'm not sure of this one yet

I try not to feed them chicken from the grocery, but if I roast one of their brothers in the oven, I usually feed leftover pieces back to the flock. Every time I'm killing extra roos, the hens all come over to peck at the blood. When there's solid research done on the ill effects of this, I'll reconsider, but since I know where my own flock's been I see no reason to discourage it.

while I have never heard of this occurring in birds, consistent cannibalism in mammals have been known to be a great source of several types of wasting diseases such as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy,scrapie, and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (AKA mad cow disease).

This is common in cultures that cannibalize the dead and is often referred to as the shakes because of the neurological issues it causes before death.

Personally I would not risk it and discourage any cannibalistic activity among my flock. Just because they like the taste of their own kind's flesh doesn't mean me as a steward to the livestock I raise should allow it.

Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

 

[MsChickenMomma]

I gave my chickens some regular oatmeal and bananas this afternoon, and they loved it! They were really hesitant at first, but ending up eating it all.

Thanks everyone for the help. I will no longer give them cat food. I never knew it was bad for them before. Good thing I know now!

 

[Chickengirl47]

My chickens just jump up where I feed the cats and the cats are scared of them and shy away. One of my chickens follows me wherever I go to get the cat food.

 

[donrae]

Our free range hens never got to try the cat food, we had to keep it contained so the dogs wouldn't gorge on it. But I did see my little game hen stand off my 90lb dog from his own food when she wanted some to eat

. We free feed dog food so there's always some in a container. One hen also thought it was a great place to lay eggs and then go broody. Dog got kinda hungry before we figured that one out!

I don't think a handful of cat food now and then is going to hurt anything. Also depends on the quality of the food.

I feed poultry back to chickens. The diseases cited above are (I believe) all a result of feeding meat to herbivores, animals not designed to eat any meat. Chickens are omnivores, they need meat for optimal health. No, I don't think they should be fed a steady diet of chicken, I don't think that would be healthy. But I feed my flock all my leftovers, and if we had chicken, they get the scraps.