We already talked about a lot of chicken stuff here. But for those who don’t know what chickens are, let me tell you. Chickens are beautiful creatures that produce fresh and healthy eggs. They also produce natural fertilizer for your plants and lastly, chickens are a good pet too.
Yes! Chickens are indeed good pets and companions. However, the only problem with them is that chickens eat almost anything and everything! Chickens don’t have human intelligence, which is why they have no idea about the difference between good and bad food.
Most chicken owners just give any food to their chickens because they think that everything that chickens eat is good. It does not mean that your pet chicken ate something you give, it is healthy for your pet chicken. One of the common questions chicken owners ask is if they can give their chickens some hamster food. So, can chickens eat hamster food?
Can chickens eat hamster food? Yes! Chickens can eat hamster food. It is completely safe for your pet chicken to eat some hamster food. However, unlike chicken feed, hamster food is not specially formulated to cover your chicken’s nutritional needs. That is why even though it’s safe for your pet chicken to eat hamster food, it is not healthy.
Today, we will talk about chickens! Yes! Chickens! I will answer various questions related to our subject and I assure you that you will learn new things about chickens. If you are a new chicken owner and thinking of feeding your pet chicken some hamster food, read this whole article first before doing that! So, let us move on!
Can Chickens Eat Hamster Food?
Most hamster food is commonly made of a combination of dried vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, and grass. All of these ingredients inside the hamster food are safe for your pet chicken. Yes! Your pet chicken can eat hamster food. However, it is not what I suggest.
Chickens need protein, carbohydrates, and fats. These things are inside the hamster’s food. However, hamster food has no minerals like calcium, potassium, magnesium, and iron, which are essential to make egg production healthy.
Hamster food is not like chicken feed. Hamster food is not specially formulated to cover your chicken’s nutritional needs. That is why I have said above that even though your pet chicken can eat hamster food, it is not advisable.
But if you’ve run out of chicken feed, you can give your pet chicken some hamster food in the meantime. However, never use hamster food as your pet chicken’s main food. You must still buy chicken food if you’ve run out of chicken food.
Can Chicks Eat Hamster Food?
Chicks or baby chickens have divergent nutritional needs than adult chickens. Chicks don’t need nutrients that support healthy egg production but chicks need a high amount of protein for them to grow rapidly.
That is why you need to give your chicks a grower food or chick starter to help your chicks grow faster and healthier. These usually contain 18-20% protein, amino acids that support growth, and yeast to support digestive health. Also, other food that contains minerals and vitamins that support bone health will help your chicks grow healthier.
Hamster food does not provide baby chicks with this kind of support. That is why it is not good for chicks to eat hamster food entirely. You must stick to grower food or chick starter and make sure that you will not run out of it while your chicks are not still chicken.
What Should You Check Before Giving Your Pet Chicken Some Hamster Food?
Even though chickens can eat most types of hamster food, you must still check a few basic things to make sure that your chickens will not get sick or die when you give them some hamster food:
- You must check the expiration date. Hamster food contains fruit and vegetables. It will turn moldy if it is already expired.
- Make sure that you do not buy hamster treats. Hamster treats are high in sugar which can be harmful to your chickens if fed in high amounts.
- Check if the hamster food has moth eggs. Moth eggs are not good for your chickens. Give it a glance for any issues.
What Are The Foods Your Chicken Must Eat?
Just like other animals and humans, a balanced diet is a key to a healthy and happy chicken. The chicken feed contains a mix of protein, carbohydrates, fats, and other minerals like calcium and potassium.
That is why if you run out of feed for your pet chicken, you should look to provide them with a similar nutrient intake to the food. You can do this by making a feed mix with your seeds and grains like flaxseed, poppy seeds, or sunflower seeds. You can also feed your chickens some vegetables like broccoli, snap peas, eggplant, and other green leafy vegetables.
You can add some fruits too. However, fruits should not be served in high amounts because they contain high sugar content. But in normal amounts, fruits are healthy for your pet chicken. I suggest that you avoid processed foods or foods that are high in sugar and salt. You can feed your pet chicken some hamster food but don’t make it as their regular food.
Final Verdict
Chickens can eat hamster food. It can be a substitute if you run out of chicken feed. However, even though it’s applicable, I suggest that you don’t give your pet chicken hamster food always. Hamster feed lacks some nutrients your pet chicken needs. That is why it is still better to give your pet chicken some fruits and vegetables if you run out of chicken feed.
