Has anyone tried this?

[Mother of Chaos]

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

Am I the only one who hears the word “influencer” and my brain turns it into “con man/woman”?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

If you offer your chickens bird seed or a mixed formula, I think there is a good chance they will pick out what they like and not get a balanced diet. A bit like putting jelly beans in mashed potatoes and hoping your two-year old will eat the potatoes. Yeah, good luck with that. Scientists have formulated a balanced diet for chickens. Feed them that and they'll do fine. These "influencers" are NOT nutritionists.

 

[Appalachickens]

If you offer your chickens bird seed or a mixed formula, I think there is a good chance they will pick out what they like and not get a balanced diet. A bit like putting jelly beans in mashed potatoes and hoping your two-year old will eat the potatoes. Yeah, good luck with that. Scientists have formulated a balanced diet for chickens. Feed them that and they'll do fine. These "influencers" are NOT nutritionists.

That’s why we had to con one of my toddlers into eating vegetables by pureeing broccoli and mixing them into waffle batter. There was no way for him to separate out what he didn’t normally want once they were broccowaffles.

 

[nuthatched]

Am I the only one who hears the word “influencer” and my brain turns it into “con man/woman”?

"Entitiled, self absorbed, grifting, leach"

That’s why we had to con one of my toddlers into eating vegetables by pureeing broccoli and mixing them into waffle batter. There was no way for him to separate out what he didn’t normally want once they were broccowaffles.

Unfortunately, pureeing and cooking vegetables like that destroys most of their nutrition.....

 

[Appalachickens]

Unfortunately, pureeing and cooking vegetables like that destroys most of their nutrition.....

We’d lightly steam the broccoli and grind it up. It felt like a far better option than no veggies during that phase in his life. And to be fair, most of the vegetables I eat are cooked.

 

[Cloverfluff]

I feel that cat food might be pushing the protein content a bit high for the chickens. I usually do a winter mix of their layer diet with the chick feed for added protein and plenty of scratch to keep them warm. Not sure about the rabbit food for the additional fiber.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

That’s why we had to con one of my toddlers into eating vegetables by pureeing broccoli and mixing them into waffle batter

I thought I was a mean mom for making mac n cheese with butternut squash and cauliflower I think I am going to use broccowaffles as a threat now…

 

[Appalachickens]

I thought I was a mean mom for making mac n cheese with butternut squash and cauliflower I think I am going to use broccowaffles as a threat now…

Believe it or not, when you add butter and syrup you’d never know there was broccoli in them.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Believe it or not, when you add butter and syrup you’d never know there was broccoli in them.

that's a LOT of syrup.

 

[Folly's place]

Another fallacy: scratch does NOT keep the birds warm in winter! It's a treat, low protein, meant to be fed in small quantities occasionally. Helps to train them to come when called, that's it. Adding it to layer feed is not helpful!
An all flock feed, like Purina's 20% protein Flock Raiser, for example, meets everyone's needs with the oyster shell on the side. Birds not in lay shouldn't eat layer feed, and again, adding scratch decreases their protein and other nutrient levels much lower.
'Zillions' have been spent learning the nutritional needs of chickens, and trying to 'improve' their diets by mixing whatever other ingredients, not an improvement. Listen to Stormcrow!
Mary