Chicken bald back

[funmunkie]

Hi All I just need a little bit of advice...one of my girls has started to coming into the kitchen and has taken a BIG liking to the cats food (pouches), as the bowls have been (up until now) near the door....she is so persistent that I have had to remove them and was wondering if it would do her any harm...she is also the chook which appeared upstairs in the bathroom this morning while I was having a shower.....gotta love her but don't want to upset her..thoughts please?

[Redwing]

Wet cat food is fine and a decent cat food can be a useful pick-me-up for an under the weather hen.

 

Dry is also ok but is better soaked first

[Millie-Annie]

Marigold ate copious amounts of cat food dry and wet, much to the cats disgust

[Olly]

Mine love cat food if they can get it! I'd keep the back door closed.

 

They love sicked-up cat food just as much ...

[Space Chick]

An ex batt (no longer with us) used to chase off our old Tom cat (no longer with us) for cat food.

 

Used to freak me out when the cats had chicken flavour though

 

Now we keep chickens firmly out of the house....., well that's the theory but some of my old girls still insist on breaking in

 

Head cat Sabrina would NEVER let the hens get away with food stealing though

[Cat tails]

Apparently cat food is very rich in methionine, which in large quantities can be very toxic to poultry. Even resulting in death. The odd piece of kibble will probably do no harm, but it shouldn't be a stable part of their diet.

 

I have a cat myself and haven't fed any kibble to the chickens yet, and not planning to either. Don't want them to start liking it.

 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens

[CheekyPekins]

I have a hen who comes in through the cat flap to steal cat food... Since she's worked out how to get in through the cat flap, I've only bought fish-based wet cat food, as I can't cope with the idea of my girls eating chicken/duck/turkey based cat food...

[funmunkie]

Thanks everyone for your replies..will try and keep the girls away from the cat food...its just a shame that Frankie my cat is scared of them so they have free rein with his food

[Millie-Annie]

My cats were scared too