chickens eating horse feed....

[Chik-N-Crazy]

Hi, can someone tell me if horse feed will hurt chickens? I mix scratch and layer pellets in one can for my feed. I was trying to find a cheaper way to cut the pellets. A lady at the feed store asked me if I had thought about feeding horse feed. I was not sure so I thought I'd ask you guys!!
My gut says they have lived together on farms for years, so it's probably not a big deal, but I'd rather ask.
Thanks for any help!

 

[cw]

i dont belive it will, dont see how it could,

 

[chickenzoo]

I put sweet feed in with my chickens feed all the time.

 

[Soccer Mom]

If it was harmful, my next door neighbors chickens would have been dead ten times over. The little mooches have always come over to scratch around under my horses buckets after feeding time.

 

[lilmouthy]

I too put sweet feed in with my chickens feed also. I also ad a bit of Alfalfa pellets in with their feed. Then,after they are done with their feed,they go stand under the horse and gobble up anything they drop.

 

[Chik-N-Crazy]

Thanks so much for the quick answers! I didn't think it would hurt, but it's always nice to hear it from someone that's tried it!

 

[SC_Hugh]

I give my chickens a small amount of horse feed (mix of pasture grass, alfalfa, wheat hay), whatever falls off the bale stacks. They don't eat all of it, but they do love the seeds pods. I hadn't thought of feeding them sweet feed.

My chickens are 17 & 19 weeks old, eating grower crumbles and an offering of grit on the side, then oyster shell when they start laying.

Anything else that I should be offering as a supplement?

--Hugh

 

[silkiechicken]

They will just about eat anything and be able to survive. Only risk is that over time, if their diet is not balanced, they may not be as glossy in the feathers and may not lay as many eggs for as long.

 

[Pathfinders]

We have horses and while our chickens don't get at the horse feed (the electric poultry netting keeps them out of the horse pasture), the guineas eat the horse feed every day with no ill effects.

That being said, I don't think that horse feed would be an appropriate diet to feed to poultry full-time. Chickens have different nutritional requirements than horses, particularly when it comes to protein and amino acids.

Personally, I would attempt to find a good layer feed that fit my budget before I'd switch to feeding my chickens horse feed. Perhaps you might consider downsizing your flock rather than trying to economize on feed this way. Birds who don't receive adequate nutrition won't produce properly, and aren't worth feeding, IMO. A smaller flock fed proper feed would be more efficient than a larger flock fed feed not meant for them.

But that's just me...

 

[PeepsInc]

I just got 50 50# bags of sweat feed for free. It was out dated,but there is nothing wrong with it. I feed it as a treat to my birds. I spread it as a scratch feed. They love it.