cat food hurt chickens?

[renegade81]

Is there anything in cat food that will hurt my chickens??? My flock is running the "herd" of barn cats away from the bowl and eating the cat food in addition to their feed. Any ideas????

 

[McKenley5]

Mine LOVE the cat food. The poor cats have learned to just get out of their way too. Seems like I read that cat food is not REALLY good for them and you woudn't want them eating it as their only food source, but a little is okay. Same with my chihuahua...I think they love it because they KNOW it belongs to someone else..LoL


I have 7 hens and if they are loose in the yard when I walk outside, they immediately come running to see what I might have (even if I am just filling the cat food bowl).

 

[Oregon Blues]

Since the barn cats need their food, I'd figure out somewhere to put the cat food that the chickens couldn't get it but the cats could.

Cat food won't hurt the chickens as long as it is in snack amounts. It should not be the majority of their diet.

 

[dragonlair]

It's a good food supplement when they are molting or during the cold winter months.

 

[kuntrychick]

I think I've read that cat food has a lot of sodium (not sure?), & ain't the best for them. But, as someone else mentioned in small quantities it is good to help them get through molting (high in protein). Mine LOVE it! But, I'm not sure I would let them have access to it all the time.

I've been giving mine about a handful of it every couple of days or so & distributing out a few kibbles here & there to the older chickens that are molting. They are really growing their feathers back in fast.