Chicken eating cat litter

[champagne ivy]

My son accidentally filled our chicken feeder with Purina Tidy Cats cat litter. Label says "natural clay product with deodorizing system." Chickens loved it and gobbled it up for about half an hour before we discovered the mistake. Will this do harm to our darling flock???

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I don't really know.......
But I do know, our chickens ate a whole square piece of blue styrofoam, that we had insulating so etching, and it didnt seem to bother them. Of course, that doesn't mean you would need to feed it to them!

 

[Welshies]

I'd keep an eye on your chickens, possibly treat them for shock.

 

[Kusanar]

curious as to how you mistake a clay based litter for a grain based feed... I would be most worried about whatever the deodorizing stuff is than the clay...

 

[Welshies]

curious as to how you mistake a clay based litter for a grain based feed... I would be most worried about whatever the deodorizing stuff is than the clay...

It was their son.

 

[PirateGirl]

The clay based litter is bad if eaten. It clumps and can't be passed.

That being said, chickens are different than other animals with their digestion and also eat grit to help break things up, so they have a better chance of passing it than other animals. Definitely keep a close eye on your birds. Depending on how much they ate, they may or may not be able to pass it through their system.

 

[Welshies]

Perhaps he was young?

OP, there is a possibility your birds may die. Keep a close eye on them.

 

[MzGina]

What is done is done. So who gave the litter is unimportant at this time. The most important thing now is the care of the chickens.. which as with anything I would watch close... maybe even call poison control or look for a number on the bag of litter.
Hope the chickens pass the litter and are fine.. good luck

 

[Wyorp Rock]

What is done is done. So who gave the litter is unimportant at this time. The most important thing now is the care of the chickens.. which as with anything I would watch close... maybe even call poison control or look for a number on the bag of litter.
Hope the chickens pass the litter and are fine.. good luck

Agreed!


OP may want to contact TidyCats with questions about their product https://www.tidycats.com/contact

CDC Poison Control https://www.cdc.gov/contact/index.htm

There's not much that can be done but to wait and see. Most likely the litter will pass, but the "deodorizing system" is what I would be most concerned with. Watch birds closely and see that they are drinking.

Let us know how they are doing.

 

[MzGina]

How are your chickens today?