Feeder doors keep closing when I walk away

[doctors girls]

which cat food is the best for a source of protein for the chooks is there a particular flavour or brand we had a cat for 16 years and the advert said 8 out 10 owners say there cats liked it well my cat was number 9 or 10 it hated kit-e-cat any suggestions please or is there any other food that is a good source of protien

[Redwing]

Mine love the dry GoCat soaked in water, they go crazy for it and its easier than tins or sachets

 

Alternatively try some of the better wet foods the ones in the foil trays are easy to serve!

 

I choose fish based ones

 

In saying that tuna is very good too (if its in brine rinse it first) but these all need to be fed in moderation as with all treats

 

Chick crumb, growers pellets or breeders pellets mixed with the layers pellets will give a longer term protein boost

[Egluntyne]

Don't forget that feeding cat food to chickens would contravene Defra's regulations.

[Mollie333]

I didn't think about Defra!

 

I have a hen, around 2 years old now, she comes in the house through the kitchen and eats the cat food, and drinks the water. Even next to the cats sometimes!

 

 

She likes Whiskers in Jelly and GoCat biscuits. When one of my Pekins was under the weather i also gave her soaked GoCat biscuits, as she was a Silkie and got the cat food all over her...

 

 

Err.. Sorry, bit off topic there.

[Olly]

One of mine, now sadly deceased, worked out where the cat-food bowls were and used to come into the kitchen if she could - often the first I'd know was hearing her beak pecking on the stainless-steel bowl! sorry to say it, but my hens love sicked-up cat food if they can find it!

[chickenopolis]

Our girls are quite partial to a tin of Sheba Salmon and Prawn - but it has to be served in a china ramekin otherwise they won't touch it

 

Also, if I am having a tuna sandwich for lunch, they sometime like to help me eat it - bread, butter and tuna as in a full on sandwich - they only get a bit, but the low level squeaking reminds me of Homer Simpson when someone mentions donuts!

 

I only give this to them occasionally, but when Florence was coming to the end of her moult recently a small tin of Sheba seemed to spring her back into action, and she started egg laying the next day. She told all the neighbours about it mind you!!

 

Haven't tried the GoCat crunchies, as that seems a bit odd to me, but then I am the one that spoon feeds them yoghurt and bokashi bran if we have runny poos! * **I'll get my coat.....whistles and walks off....*****

[cheekymonkey200]

Are you supposed to feed them cat food!? I've never even thought of this- I'm veggie so I try to trick myself that the chooks are too (i turn a bling eye when they eat worms and spiders...) Even the dog has to steer clear of meaty chunks... should I be giving my girls meat? I don't think I could stomach the eww-y cat food with jelly!

[The Dogmother]

Are you supposed to feed them cat food!? I've never even thought of this- I'm veggie so I try to trick myself that the chooks are too (i turn a bling eye when they eat worms and spiders...) Even the dog has to steer clear of meaty chunks... should I be giving my girls meat? I don't think I could stomach the eww-y cat food with jelly!

 

See the comment above regarding DEFRA. Bear in mind that while chickens are naturally omnivores, DEFRA regulations don't permit them being fed any animal products.

[Mollie333]

Are you supposed to feed them cat food!? I've never even thought of this- I'm veggie so I try to trick myself that the chooks are too (i turn a bling eye when they eat worms and spiders...) Even the dog has to steer clear of meaty chunks... should I be giving my girls meat? I don't think I could stomach the eww-y cat food with jelly!

 

I'm veggie too.. But the cats still eat meat.

[Chucky Mama]

Some tinned cat food may have a predominant flavour e.g beef but may still contain chicken

[Chortle Chook]

Some tinned cat food may have a predominant flavour e.g beef but may still contain chicken

I think that is the point behind the Defra rules. The idea is that the food chain should remain clear. Wasn't the issue behind Mad Cow Disease that they were feeding beef extract back to cows

[Chucky Mama]

Yes, I personally am not a fan of feeding any tinned cat food to chickens.

[johnandkymberley]

No, not a fan either Chucky Mama, never thought of it but it revolts me , would never feed it to my girlies

[beach chick]

when I have, quite by accident, tripped while walking past the run and managed to spill the open tin of cat food that was in my hand at the time into the chook zone, the girls have unfortunately been so quick to eat it that I have been quite unable to stop them. sorry DEFRA

 

a bit of extra protein is great during moults - did you know that feathers are 100% composed of protein? (keratin actually).

 

however the protein you give them need not be of animal origin, vegetable proteins are just as good - its the amino acids you want. sorry, going off on a protein thingy, I'll get my coat....

[The Dogmother]

There are moulting rescue products on the market which contain amino acids.

[Chortle Chook]

Chooks love and need protein but their sort of protein should really be bugs, grubs and slugs not cat food which could contain chicken. Canibalism is not a good idea not just morally but also because of the food chain thing.

[beach chick]

do you know, I cannot remember how many times I have read on this forum the suggestion that cat food provides extra protein as a quick boost. but I do know that its a lot!

[Chucky Mama]

I know BC, I give mealworm instead. I know that lots of people used tinned tuna.

[Mollie333]

Oh well.. Doesn't harm her as far as i'm concerned..

[fluffypigs]

I'm quite relieved to read this post, I thought it was just my chickens who battered the door down to try to get to the cat food bowls! Now I know they're not abnormal.

 

After they all got ill I stopped them from eating it (plus I had actually thought over the whole mad cow disease business) but now I can't leave the kitchen door open without 2 chickens racing in to try to gobble some forbidden food before I can stop them They are quite grumpy with me for not letting them and they absolutely refuse to eat tinned tuna even if it's in a cat food bowl.

[lindafw]

I must admit to feeding my cats on a separate cat only bit of work-surface ...and my chooks get meal worms..I buy mine dried from Asda, but as my son keeps lots and lots of snakes and lizards occasionally they get the hatched insects too

[Cinnamon]

They need to be live mealworms to have any protein value - the dried ones are almost protein free,I think

[Chucky Mama]

They need to be live mealworms to have any protein value - the dried ones are almost protein free,I think

The packaging claims that they are protein rich. No actual breakdown as to how protein rich but that is the main point made on the labeling.

[johnandkymberley]

I'm quite relieved to read this post, I thought it was just my chickens who battered the door down to try to get to the cat food bowls! Now I know they're not abnormal.

 

After they all got ill I stopped them from eating it (plus I had actually thought over the whole mad cow disease business) but now I can't leave the kitchen door open without 2 chickens racing in to try to gobble some forbidden food before I can stop them They are quite grumpy with me for not letting them and they absolutely refuse to eat tinned tuna even if it's in a cat food bowl.

 

 

Fluffy pigs do you have any spare mesh etc? in the summer my back door is open always and the cat runs in and out as she pleases, but i dont like the hens coming in, so i use the door panel from my eglu - which isnt used atm to keep them out, cat just jumps over it, but the hens are alright cuz they can watch me! otherwise i get tapping on my back door! If the eglu is in use though i just the little door panel from the cube, as i bought the bigger door and just kept the small one, maybe you could find something like that to stop them? xx

[The Dogmother]

They need to be live mealworms to have any protein value - the dried ones are almost protein free,I think

The packaging claims that they are protein rich. No actual breakdown as to how protein rich but that is the main point made on the labeling.

 

 

Mine love dried gammarus shrimps; they are 47% protein!!!