Can you feed cat chow as a treat?

[greyfields]

While agree getting dog & cat food without corn meal is good policy, I disagree it makes any difference with poultry. Yes, they can have cat food as a treat (the protein on cat food is higher than dog). It's even suggested as a supplement when your birds molt, since their protein requirement shoot way up. If you find feeding chickens with chicken meal intolerable, you can substitute soybean meal, cottonseed meal, linseed meal, etc. as its protein content is usually around 30%.

Remember chickens DO eat meat. I know one breeder (and poultry judge) who feeds his birds fish meal, since he feels certain amino acids are only present in animal protein, not grain derived protein. I agree with him on this point.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

We will feed our chickens steamed shrimp heads and their outer shells, very little meat, the dogs get that and they don't like to share with the chickens.

 

[Crittercountry]

This made me go check my cat food since my chickens tend to eat it. I feed PMI (Purina Mills) Exclusive cat food. I like it because it's made with fresh chicken (not frozen). The first few ingredients are:
Chicken, Chicken meal, oatmeal, whole grain brown rice, rice flower, chicken fat perserved with mixed tocopherois (apparently a form of Vitamin E), corn gluten meal. It also has flaxseeed, fish meal, all kinds of goodies. No artificial color it looks like. 32% protein. Is this to much protein? Added omega 6 anfd 3 fatty acids. Hmm... sounds like it might be good for 'em. Not a lot of things I can't pronounce, just menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (apparently a source of "vitamin K activity). it has potassium iodide in it. Is that ok for the girls?

 

[nccatnip]

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Same here. I have to give the chickens a treat of cottage cheese or yogurt to keep them busy to feed the cats.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

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It looks like you have picked a clean food for your cats and chickens that is great, the main thing is read the label. I still will not feed cat food to our chickens.

 

[MayberrySaint]

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As an animal nutritionist, I have to correct several of your statements.
1. Ground yellow corn does not include the cob. No feed operation handles their corn on the cob. It is all shelled, usually on the farm before it ever enters the feed process. Corn is a great source of energy (calories) for any number of domestic animal species and poultry.
2. Poultry By-Products are no less digestible than chicken "meat". You mention that cats are carnivores...do they not eat the innards of their prey? Most wild animals value the by-products of their prey for the high nutritional content. Just because we choose not to eat that part of the bird, does not mean it has no nutritional value.
3. I'm sure that most farmers would love to find some of this "cheap" soybean meal. It is one of the most expensive protein sources and contains 48% protein on average. It is definitely not a filler.
4. Salt and KCl (potassium) are necessary for all animals to survive. Adequate levels of Na, K, Cl are necessary for metabolic functions. Again, wild animals travel long distances to find salt sources.
5. Vitamin E Supplementation - is a good thing. Diets must be balanced. Don't you take vitamins or supplements to balance your diet?

Cat food in minimal quantities is perfectly fine for chickens. Misinformation to support your "personal" preferences does not help further the quality of forum posts.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Thank you, for your info, I was only wondering if there was any nutritional value for the hens.

 

[mdbucks]

I fed mine a couple of hotdogs, I know that is bad and dont want to know the full ingredient rundown I just want to apoligize now. I feel like I poisoned my chickens already, without admitting to having to put up a babygate to attempt to keep chickens off hte porch so they wont eat the catfood, but occasssionally they still get some, again I apoligize.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

Read the label the best products avoid the use of grains like corn or wheat, soy and animal by-products.
(1)Any commercial pet food where the major ingredient is grain is bad. Mother Nature doesn't feed dogs and cats that way; why should you?" Primary ingredients should be chicken, turkey or fish instead of by-products and grains (such as corn, wheat or soy).
(2)This is an area of controversy and there are no clear-cut answers as to whether to feed products containing them because the quality and quantity can vary with each company and batch of food. By-products do include some very nutritious items but they also contain organs that have been deemed "unfit for human consumption" and this is where personal reluctance enters into my decision to feed a food without by-products. Organs that show signs of disease such as cancer or infection are 're-routed' from the human meat market to the pet food market. The fact that cats eat by-products in the wild cannot be disputed, but the by-products consumed fresh 'on the hoof' are not the same as those that have been designated as unfit for human consumption so the two situations are not entirely comparable.
(3)Grains … soy, corn, corn gluten and wheat gluten are often used as protein sources; however, they are generally inferior and difficult to digest.
(4) Natural Salt is an essential element in the diet of not only humans but of animals, and even of many plants. I use sea salt.
(5)There have been no studies done to determine the effects of longterm buildup of preservatives. Even so, use of preservatives in human food has become a concern and has translated to pet food. Based on customer concerns, the best cat foods have switched to Vitamins C or E as preservatives rather than artificial components. If you decide to avoid artificial preservatives, check the label. Some common names of these chemicals include BHA/BHT, ethoxyquin and propyl gallate.
I will continue not to feed my chickens cat food, but please read the label. Our chickens are for consumption and not as pets so I am very careful as to what I feed them. I don't have much faith in the medical profession, I have been involved in nutrition, natural health, finess, herbs and alternative medicines all my life. Look at what is happening in America today, people are overweight, illnesses and cancer is skyrocketing and with all these miricle pills on the market, do I trust the pharmacutial companys and doctors, NO. Good Luck

 

[MayberrySaint]

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The great thing about the US is we are all entitled to our opinions...however, I believe you may want to check out the stats on longevity and eradication of illnesses since the evil medical and pharmaceutical professions have been around...and people are overweight and get cancer because of primarily lifestyle decisions...over eating, lack of exercise, smoking, too much TV and internet...oops. It is easy to blame our unhealthy lifestyle on corporations (feed, pharmaceutical, etc) instead of taking personal responsibility for our unhealthy choices.