It is very common for people to have more than one pet in the backyard. This can be the combination of birds and livestock.
When you have horse and chickens together, you might be wondering if it is good to serve horse feed for the chickens as a treat.
In this blog post, you are going to discover if it is good to serve horse feed for the chickens as a treat. You will also discover if chicks can also feed on the horse feed.
Can chickens eat horse feed? Chickens can eat horse feed but it should be served moderate. Chickens are capable of eating horse feed without any problem but it should not be on a consistent basis.
Table of Contents
Is horse feed safe for chickens?
Safety is very essential in everything we do and this includes raising pets. safety should be one of those things you check out on your list whenever you discover a new treat for the chickens.
The question remains the same, is horse feed safe for the chickens? Horse feed is safe for the chickens. Horse feed does not contain any ingredients which can be poisonous for the chickens.
In fact, some horse feed has a good amount of protein which is good for the chickens. The only problem is that horse feed contains a lot of molasses and should not be fed to the layers but other types.
I even check around to see what some other chicken owners might consider when it comes to feeding horse feed for the chickens.
I did a little research about this from other chicken owners. one of them who happens to be a member of the backyard chicken forum stated that his chickens are found off checking out horse feed at the yard and they are very happy about it.
The best part is that the chickens don’t fall sick after eating the horse feed but they usually do in moderation as stated by the chicken owner on the forum.
How do I introduce horse feed to my chickens?
If you have chickens together with some other pets in the yard, sometimes your only option left is to serve a feed for a particular pet to another one, perhaps when their feed and have been exhausted and yet to be replaced.
If you find yourself in a situation whereby the only feed left for the chickens is that of the horse, you are going to be concerned on how to introduce the horse feed for the chickens?
Horse feed is not something you introduce to the chickens. Chickens are likely to go to the barn themself and check out some of the crumbles on the floor after the horses have eaten to satisfaction.
How often do I feed my chickens with horse feed?
I will not say this is the amount of time you should allow the chickens to consume horse feed. You should always try to focus on providing a feed for the chickens in moderation if it happens that you have them in large stock at the store.
It is very important to check on the nutritional distribution of the horse first before you allow the chickens to start feeding on them as a treat.
You should avoid or prevent the chicken from eating the horse feed if it happens that it contains much more losses as this can cause stomach distress in the chickens if they consume the feed.
Can chicks eat horse feed?
Horse feed should not be part of the things you should feed the chicks at their early stage even though they contain a good amount of protein needed by the chicks.
Other treats you can serve the chickens
Peanuts
Peanuts are good for the chickens as a treat. Peanuts can be served alone either cooked or fresh for the chickens, they are going to consume them anyhow. Peanuts are a good source of protein and fiber for the chickens to enjoy.
Carrots
If you have carrots you can suck them for the chickens as a treat. You just have to work on the carrot before you serve them by dicing them into smaller pieces. This makes it pretty much easier for the chickens to consume.
Apples
Apples can also be served for the chickens as a treat. You just have to be very careful whenever you want to serve apples for the chickens to enjoy as a treat.
You need to be concerned about the seeds that are present in the apples. try to get rid of them before you serve the apples for the chickens.
Lettuce
vegetables are part of the things the chickens can consume as a treat or as a food. Lettuce seems to be one of the favorite vegetables for the chickens. if you have lettuce in your garden you can simply pack some of them enough for the chickens as a treat.
Bread
My chickens can eat bread, but some people usually frown at it. They often claim that bread is capable of choking the chicken. One thing I can say is that this can only happen if you’re allowed to consume too much of the bread.
Melon
Melons are also good for the chickens, especially watermelon. Watermelon has a lot of vitamins and minerals which are essential for the chickens. You just have to work on any type of melons you want to provide for the chickens as a treat by slicing them and cutting them into smaller pieces.
Treats that are poisonous to the chickens
These are some of the treaties that should avoid serving your chickens or you prevent the chooks from consuming any one of them.
Apple seeds
You need to get rid of apple seeds as they contain poisonous substances that are capable of causing a stomach disorder in the chickens. Get a pointing knife to get rid of the seeds if it happens that you want to serve apples for the chickens.
Avocados
Avocados should not be the part of the treats you are going to see the chickens if you truly care about your pets. It is said that most avocados contain toxic substances for pets like chickens.
Conclusion
Chickens can have horse feed in moderation. Horse feed contains a moderate amount of protein which can be beneficial to the adult chickens. However, you should avoid serving horse feed for the layers of chickens as this gives out ugly yolk in the egg produced by the chickens.
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https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chickens-eating-horse-feed.594479/
