Chickens addicted to cat food! Will a cat door keep them out?

[The_Chicken_Tender]

I have an outdoor cat, and we feed her at a little table outside our door (pictures attached). However, the chickens are completely addicted to the cat food! Every morning when I let them out, the entire flock makes a beeline to the back patio to get their breakfast. I take the bowl away before letting them out, but my cat needs to eat. I've tried constructing a cardboard barrier with openings small enough only to let the cat in, but the chickens somehow manage to squeeze through. Sometimes I shove my cat in there and block the holes to let her eat, but the chickens circle around frantically like they are absolutely starving and that's the only food left on the planet (trust me-it's not). They aren't even this crazy for mealworms!

My main question is, can chickens use cat flap doors? It seems like they couldn't, since they would have to push it open with their beaks. Does anyone have experience with this? Or, if anyone has another idea that could work, feel free to share!

Thanks!

 

[Squawkers]

I use a dog door to keep my chickens out of mine! Works great! Yeah chickens LOVE cat food

 

[Perris]

Or, if anyone has another idea that could work, feel free to share!

Your chickens need more/better protein than they are getting on their current feeding regime, whatever that is. That's why they are so keen to eat the cat's food; cat food is more reliably composed of animal proteins, as they just won't be fooled into eating plant protein like dogs will. So you could solve the problem by putting out some cat food for the chickens until they've had enough - they will stop when they hit their protein targets (individuals will vary in their requirements).

 

[Squawkers]

Your chickens need more/better protein than they are getting on their current feeding regime, whatever that is. That's why they are so keen to eat the cat's food; cat food is more reliably composed of animal proteins, as they just won't be fooled into eating plant protein like dogs will. So you could solve the problem by putting out some cat food for the chickens until they've had enough - they will stop when they hit their protein targets (individuals will vary in their requirements).

Ill just say in the many years that cat food has been a regular favorite treat for mine they never just don’t eat it

 

[Perris]

Ill just say in the many years that cat food has been a regular favorite treat for mine they never just don’t eat it

you haven't offered them enough of it We all have our limits, even for ice-cream, chocolate, beef wellington or whatever. Once you reach your inbuilt limit your body says 'Enough!' and you just can't face another mouthful.

 

[Squawkers]

you haven't offered them enough of it We all have our limits, even for ice-cream, chocolate, beef wellington or whatever. Once you reach your inbuilt limit your body says 'Enough!' and you just can't face another mouthful.

But then it restarts the next day

 

[Perris]

So offer more the next day; when they've caught up, they'll settle down to what they actually need on a daily basis. And be prepared to flex it - as they go through different phases (moulting, laying, ageing, illness etc.) within and between years, their needs will change, just as ours do.

 

[Ext 918]

It never occurred to me to offer cat food. I'll have to see if they like IAMS indoor

 

[Perris]

It never occurred to me to offer cat food. I'll have to see if they like IAMS indoor

wet cat food is usually preferred over dry kibble.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

you haven't offered them enough of it We all have our limits, even for ice-cream, chocolate, beef wellington or whatever. Once you reach your inbuilt limit your body says 'Enough!' and you just can't face another mouthful.

A growing anything doesn't necessarily have these limitations. Just look at kids on halloween! One piece is enough to knock me out now, but as a kid I had a phase during halloween where I refused to eat anything except half a pound of candy a day...! Makes sense for older chickens, but younger chickens might have a harder time figuring out what is too much. If A_Chicken_Tender has young pullets/roos, they might eat more than their fill. One thing we haven't considered is that it's not very cost-effective to give them cat food. However, it isn't a bad idea to add more cooked fish scraps, egg bits, or unsalted meat scraps to a scavenging pile. Giving them a limited amount of protein, but still raising the protein would be most reasonable.