Feeding chickens catfood?

[zzGypsy]

our cats hang out with the chickens and turkeys and watch them eat, but so far haven't been motivated to go help themselves to the bird's lunch.

re: feeding cat food to chickens (which my chickens love, and will peck the cats over) ... aren't there issues with feeding, say chicken to chickens? in sheep and cows its a bad practice because it can potentially spread things like mad cow disease and scrapie, prion(?) diseases...
no similar problem in chickens?

 

[7L Farm]

I would think cat food is formulated for cats not chickens.

 

[galanie]

The whole mad cow thing was because *raw* cow parts were fed to cows. Unless you are going to sling raw chicken guts out to chickens or raw cat parts out to cats I'd not be concerned about it. Many of us regularly give our chickens leftover *cooked* chicken meat.

 

[RoosterRidge]

Quote:
Thanks guys for all your replys... I know that my girls love chicken and all other meats when they are lucky enough to get some... It was just the craziest thing I had ever seen with babygirl eating the chickens food... She is the most finicky one we have... Don't ever have to worry about her trying to eat one of the chickens because she does not care for the chicken flavored cat food...

I fed them their first chicken when a friend of mine was here and she looked at me like I was crazy... Be assured that I had checked with many of you on BYC before doing so... Don't want to give my babies anything that would bring harm or illness to them... I love BYC so much it is so addicting and I thought I spent alot of time on FB...

 

[Herdcutter]

I started feeding my Brahma girls catfood when the temps got kinda cold...30 degrees and less.
Anyway, they started laying and how I feed it. They get a 1/2 cup plus meal worms every other day. They look happy and healthy. They eggs are wonderful. I plan to stop feeding the extra protein in spring.

I might consider feeding the cat food before our county fair. Sounds like the shiny feathers might be a positive!