Cat food

Yup, I'm asking what impact cat food would have on the poultry. I've been keeping my cat food in a plastic container in the barn. This morning I went out and found a chicken stuck in it. I'm kicking myself for not having a camera because it was rather hysterical. She'd gotten the lid flap up and her butt was sticking out the narrow opening. Anyway, looking at the level of food I'd say a fair amount was eaten. So how bad is that for her?

If it is a grain based dry kibble, it's probably better for your chickens than for your cats anyway, in my opinion But chickens are omnivorous, like most birds, and she should be just fine. It does sound pretty funny!

Galadriel Freden wrote:If it is a grain based dry kibble, it's probably better for your chickens than for your cats anyway, in my opinion But chickens are omnivorous, like most birds, and she should be just fine. It does sound pretty funny!

I'm buying super cheap cat food. Those cats need to go catch their own meat imo.

That chicken was so stuck though. I wonder when she did it. I only go out in the mornings so she could have been stuck in there for 24 hours for all I know. I had to pull her out by her tail feathers. I hope she learned a valuable lesson.

People who raise show chickens often feed them cat food during a molt to help them get through it faster. (More protein = faster feather growth) You chicken will be just fine.

Haha! I wish you'd taken a picture!

While the chickens are stealing the cat's food, the cat is stealing my water (which I have to haul, by the way)

Oh I can just see it! Chickens are so silly.

Regarding cat food - one of my chickens' favorite treats is any dry or wet cat food that my cats didn't finish. They will eat it above all other snacks. The older one's have been doing this since 2008.

@Rebecca - that is an AWESOME picture of the cat stealing your water! Mine often get stuck drinking from the watering cans. It must be more exciting to drink from difficult places rather than a bowl indoors....

I have friends who do this all the time. I don't like it just because of the dyes. The chicken shit ends up all reds and purples and other colors which freak me out. They have healthy chickens though and the eggs don't taste off. I've totally eaten eggs and birds raised with some cat food in the diet.