Chickens eating dog food

[awilcox]

Hi,

I've searched and cannot seem to find other posts on this topic. We have 3 dogs who free feed and five laying hens. Everyone gets along famously.
The chickens free range and I've noticed lately that they REALLY like to come on the deck and steal the dogs' food. We have a bunch of woodpeckers
who do the same thing. Is this because most dog food has cornmeal in it? We feed the "weight control" variety of pedigree (one older dog is on a diet).
Will this hurt the chickens or affect their laying?

Thanks so much!!
Allison

 

[Imp]

Quote:
I think search is acting up.

It's OK if chickens eat dog or cat food. Some people will give it to them for extra protein. Some people will point out that it is high in salt and may not have all the correct amino acids, but as a treat it is OK. Mine head to the cat food bowls on the deck first thing every morning. Last night I didn't feel like chopping veggies so I threw a handfull in their treat bowl.
There was someone last week with the same question. That poster had access to free dog food. Lucky

Imp- If the chickens start barking cut back on the dog food.

 

[awilcox]

Thank you sooooooo much!!! No barking yet, but i'll keep an ear out

we feed them layer pellets and they roam all over eating whatever they please, so i'm glad i don't have to put the
dog bowls up and start some wierd schedule to keep the chickens off the dog food. we're a little lazy

 

[newchickgal]

Yep, the chickens here make sure the dog bowl is nice and clean! Although if my outside dog doesn't finish his food I do pick it up, but if there's just a few bites left then I leave it.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Well you may need to resort to a weird schedule when the chickens refuse to share with the dogs. I can only feed the cats at night.

Imp

 

[TeriNick50]

My girls love dry cat food as a treat ... if I had a dog, they would probably love that food as well.
The cat food is especially handy when I have to keep the girls cooped up all day.
I throw and handful or two of cat food into their pen and they scratch all day looking for those tiny, delicious morsels.

 

[TexasChickenDance]

Speaking of cat food, when you give to your chickens do you crumble it? It seems rather large to leave whole and I would be afraid they would choke on it.

 

[awilcox]

Hi Texas,

I live in dripping springs outside Austin- where are you?

The wild birds (the woodpeckers) and the chickens all seem to have NO problem pecking the dog food pieces to death to eat them. I wouldn't worry about crumbling it!!

 

[TexasChickenDance]

Hi awilcox,

I live in Medina. We just started with chickens in Jan. Have 6 RIR hens and are waiting patiently for them to start laying.

 

[awilcox]

Wow, it's beautiful there! Have fun with RIR. I just started last year and got the chicks in about April with eggs starting August.
It is a BLAST.