Has anyone tried this?

[U_Stormcrow]

My mom found this and wants me to try it, but my gut tells me chicken food is created for a reason. What are your thoughts?
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It's not cheaper.
It's not superior nutrition.

I can think of no rational reason for doing this.

I can only assume your mother saw this on some social media site, has not recently priced rabbit food, bird seed, or cat food, and has spared no time to critically thinking this thru.

Your gut is correct

 

[MysteryChicken]

My mom found this and wants me to try it, but my gut tells me chicken food is created for a reason. What are your thoughts?
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I would say no to this.

 

[nuthatched]

Reminds me of back when the government was tampering with chicken feed so all our chickens would quit laying eggs.
Everyone was saying feed your chickens sweet feed, goat feed or dog food.

"Now all my chickens are sick! I feed them sweet cob, cat food and whole wheat bread. It's a government conspiracy !"

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I will sit down at my computer tomorrow, link some samples and show the math. I see that recipe and immediately thinks stupid, but I understand it would be helpful to others if they saw why I thought that.

 

[Perris]

The fact it says “can add extras for nutrients and minerals” at the bottom in tiny letters is a red flag to me. If you want some good science @Perris and @U_Stormcrow have lots of feed knowledge, including making your own homemade feed.

It is also prefaced with "Keep your hens laying all winter long", which is not something I would aim for. I like those hens who want it to have a proper break from laying over winter. Since I have 8 year old hens that are still productive, this approach demonstrably works.

I also like to know what exactly they are eating, and when 3 of the ingredients are ultra-processed (layers pellets, high-protein cat food, rabbit pellets), that's impossible. The combination also probably delivers a veritable smorgasbord of non-nutritional colourings, flavourings, preservatives etc. to suit the different target species and manufacturing processes.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

This is a crazy imbalance. A majority of their meal would not be the feed, the main thing they need to eat. Cat food isn't exactly healthy, chickens crave it but it often is high in chemicals and a bunch of weird things they put in it. Bird seed often has a lot of calcium in it, which chickens often slow laying in the winter. They'd get too much calcium from this. Scratch is fine, but not in that amount where it seems to be 1/6 of what they get. Rabbit food sounds fine, but I've never looked into it myself. Just stick to chicken feed and provide appropriate greens/leaves if you really want to. Chickens shouldn't even be on layer in the winter, they should be on an all flock with available grit and calcium separate.

 

[saysfaa]

Besides all most of the above, it won't keep chickens laying all winter because nutrition is not why chickens stop laying in the winter.

Well, at least it isn't if they are getting at least the minimal nutrition they need. Even the cheapest commercial chicken feed does that.

The most perfect diet will not keep a hen laying if they she is not getting enough hours of light, doesn't have the genetics for high rates of production, is too young or too old, etc.