Can Chickens Eat Dog Food?

Written by Tim Rhodes Last Updated: Mar 17, 2025

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Can chickens eat dog food?

The truth of chicken and dog’s nature, in particular, chicken is a domestic bird.

In science, chicken is Gallus gallus and falls in the pheasant family.

They are native birds to Asia and 25 billion in the world.

They are omnivores and eat seeds, insects, and so on.

They aren’t entirely flightless, and humans use them as food. They can see the full-vision color.

Can Chickens Eat Dog Food?

The unique truth is chickens can recognize more than 100 faces of their species, and with that being said let’s dive into the article to figure out if chickens can eat dog food.

Did you know that Chickens and Dogs are friends?

Similarly, dogs are domestic animals and also very faithful domestic mammals because they give baby offspring.

A dog originates from wolves and is used as a pet animal.

They have low-light vision rather than humans due to behind their retinas, unique light-reflecting layers.

They have sweat glands only between their paw pads.

Chicken and dog are domestic birds and dogs, plus a great friend in a compound.

A chicken is a bird, and a dog is furry a pet animal.

A dog also helps chicken from giant snakes, a tiger in a compound.

So, you can say chicken and dog are best friends.

As you know, chicken and dogs are a social environment.

They like both human’s interacting families since chickens and dogs are the best companionships.

The social relationship between chicken and dog is the best.

They are very naughty pals and do bad things.

That is why chickens and dogs are very fond of them.

Both of them are very cunning, but chickens will peck, and dogs will attack their stranger.

The chicken is aware of when the dog is napping.

As the chicken is a feathery bird and the dog is a canine animal, they are pets, birds, and animals.

Both of them are very intelligent, and the learning capacity is unique.

In this compound, chickens and dogs are partners in a human’s environment.

Since they are unique characters and behavior, but both of them are pets.

The character is different from chickens to dogs.

Both of them are naughty and cunning birds and dogs.

They are social with human behavior.

The rear in the human’s environment and both of them are of different natures.

They are very loyal to their mysterious humans.

Most of the time, humans train chicken and dog in the same compound.

The dog guards the compound chicken against other enemies.

The opposite attraction between chickens and dogs is why they are best friends in the same compound.

They like their company with the same compound.

Advantages of keeping Dogs and Chickens

There are many benefits to keeping chicken in your yard.

One of the best advantages of your chicken is eggs are very nutritious and good for your health.

You can’t stress-free knowing that the egg you’re eating is from your healthy chicken.

Chicken also helps you to make good compost for your garden.

Those who love the garden know the value of good compost.

Mostly, chicken scratch and always dig, which helps you to make a better garden bed.

Chicken is also a good hunter for pests like flies and mosquitoes.

They love having these pests as a protein diet.

You can also be sure that your garden is fully protected from snails.

Like this, your chicken is happy by getting protein food, and your plants stay safe and healthy.

Chicken is also the right family pet.

They don’t give you a fresh and healthy meal but also a lovable friend like a dog.

For a long-time, dogs have been humans’ best friends.

Dogs are always loyal, energetic, & play with humans.

There are many benefits: keeping a dog.

Dogs make you healthier by engaging in different activities.

They make you happy by creating a new friend in social life.

Dogs’ owners are less stressed as they are familiar with each other & good affection.

Dogs can keep you safe from many prospectuses.

As dogs have a good sense of hearing and smelling capacity, they can protect you from different dangerous situations.

You’re also safe while walking with your dog as you can detect things that you can’t notice.

They also protect your home from thieves and robbery.

You can go for a walk leaving your home in the trust of your dog.

Is Your Dog Food Healthy for Chickens?

Dog food is of different quality and can chicken eat dog food if it is fresh.

It’s better for chicken if the dog food is of better quality.

Dog food has many vitamins, which are better for chickens.

As chicken loves to eat meat also, they enjoy eating dog food.

Every animal is healthy if fed the right balanced diet.

Calcium is essential for chicken in making it strong and healthy during egg production.

There is also low-quality dog food, which has fewer minerals and a lot of extra flavoring.

Dog foods that contain meat are much beneficial to your birds.

You can give some dog food to your chicken as a treat, but you can’t make it the primary diet for your chicken.

The significant diet of chickens depends on their age, species, and the reason behind raising them.

It would be best if you remembered that your chicken needs more protein as they grow up.

It would help if you did not depend on the same quantity of diet as chicken always.

Quantity and diet depend on their age and life cycle.

If you have to feed dog food to your chicken, you should give a high-quality brand.

High-quality dog food has more meat content and less extra flavor.

High brand food of dogs is a protein booster for your chicken.

If your chicken doesn’t get the right balance of protein and minerals, their health will worsen.

You can see the health degradation of chickens in their behavior.

This can also hamper the chicken egg production process.

This is the same as how nutritious and right a balanced diet our body needs fit and healthy.

If our body doesn’t get a proper diet, we become ill and unhealthy.

In the same way, chicken also needs a proper diet.

How Much Dog Food Can You Feed Your Chickens?

You shouldn’t make dog food as a fixed diet for your chicken.

Dog food must be given as a snack and in limited quantities.

You can spread dog food around your chicken and let them eat when they want to.

You can also give dog food to unhealthy chicken as it can provide better nutrition.

Chicken should be fed with their food daily as a primary diet.

You can give dog food about 10 percent of their daily diet.

Chickens need approximately 38 nutrients to be at the balance level.

And to meet this demand, poultry feed is developed.

For newborn chicken, you should feed starter food for 18 weeks.

You don’t need to worry about what to feed your bird.

You have to keep in mind that you are giving in the right ratio, and your chicken enjoys it.

You should also know how to feed dog food to your chicken.

For that, you can mix up with their food like nuts, grains, seeds, and spread around them.

You can watch your birds as they slowly finish until it’s all over.

Adults can also eat dry dog food, which is easier for giving them.

Feeding in more dog food may lead to harmful and dangerous for your chicken.

If you have a good source of dog food, you can throw them around in limited quantities.

This will not harm your chicken.

If your chicken loves it and wants to feed them, it will provide a good protein diet for your chicken.

It will also reduce the cost of buying chicken food.

What do Chickens Eat?

Chickens are omnivores that mean they eat both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food.

While roaming on the yards, chickens find a lot of protein and vitamin-rich food on their own.

The natural diet for chickens consists of seeds, grains, windfall fruits, different types of insects, etc.

In cold weather, chickens need a proper diet to keep them warm and healthy.

For those fruits, vegetables, grains, cooked beans, berries, and most other fruits and vegetables are the right choice.

For egg production, natural protein is essential for chickens.

Several seeds in the market are suitable for chickens.

You can also mix other animals’ feed, like dogs’ food to chicken food, for a better diet.

Make sure you should avoid those foods that are very dangerous and harmful to your birds.

There’s also other natural food like earthworms, mealworms which are very good for chickens.

You can also give cooked green peas.

It’s hard for the chicken to survive on greens and grass alone because they need a proper diet and protein.

Naturally fed chickens don’t produce more or better eggs.

The free-range chicken will also eat a lot of grass than the other greenery.

That’s why they can damage plants in your backyard garden.

Chickens try to avoid nasty and harmful food, but some are healthier than others.

Some of the chickens also love herbs like lavender, mint oregano, thyme, and basil.

If birds are free-ranging, they will find their favorite food and snack on themselves.

What should Chickens Not Eat?

It’s important to know what’s suitable for chickens and what’s not.

In practice, chickens will eat everything.

Some foods are very poisonous to chickens.

You are very careful while feeding chickens.

Here are some foods which are known as dangerous to chickens is

• Avocado

The whole part of the avocado is not dangerous to chickens.

The skin and stone part of the avocado has persin, which is very poisonous and dangerous to chickens.

Those toxic elements will cause birds to have heart problems, which leads to breathing problems.

It can kill chickens in less than 48 hours, so you can provide only the fleshy part while giving avocado.

White Potatoes or Green Tomatoes

Don’t give cooked or raw white potatoes to your chicken.

The flesh or skin part of white potatoes and green tomatoes contains a poisonous substance called solanine.

Poisonous substances destroy red blood in the cell of chickens, which causes heart failure and death.

Raw Dried Beans

Dried beans are very dangerous to humans also as they can cause illness and even death.

It would be best if you kept raw and dried beans far from your chicken.

If the beans are properly cooked, then you can feed your chickens; otherwise, you shouldn’t.

Onions

A small number of onions doesn’t harm chickens, but a large amount is hazardous and can cause death.

Onion contains thiosulphate, which is also a danger to chickens.

Chocolate

Chocolates contain toxic elements called theobromine and caffeine, which is very dangerous to chickens.

A small part of chocolate doesn’t harm too much to your chicken.

These toxic elements cause heart problems and death to chickens.

So, it depends on the amount of chocolate your chicken eats.

Which dog breeds are good with chickens?

As you know, chicken’s poultry gives fresh eggs an earning process.

You can put chicken and dog in the same compound.

Chickens live in a group with other chickens.

The group of chickens is known as “flock.”

In a rural area, the chicken’s process of earning.

In your compound, they are different types of dogs that are friendly with chicken.

They are different types of dogs to guard with chickens.

You have to train the dogs properly.

As you know, a dog’s breed is taking a vital role; otherwise, it can threaten the chickens.

Different dogs have unique characteristics from one dog to another.

You have to check that your dogs are comfortable with chicken.

There are different types of large dogs:

Tibetan Mastiff

They are better large dogs for guarding.

They are beautiful dogs, but the price of the dogs is costly.

Maremma Sheepdog

They can guard the chicken as they are fantastic guardians.

Their relationship is excellent and significant for livestock.

Komondor

They are guardian dogs for chicken also.

They are the chief protective for local chicken.

They are a very passionate and devoted company.

Akbash

They are unique dogs that can guard chicken without human interference.

In ancient times, they used as guards the flock, that is why a group of chickens.

Facts about germs in the compound

Yes, the birds’ poop is dangerous to chickens.

You know the bird’s droppings consist of a germ, “Salmonella.”

When the chicken eats that drop in your mouth, it causes sickness.

You know all the birds and animals consist of germs.

The chicken’s poop consists of disease, salmonella in the stomach resulting from typhoid.

That is why the compound separates between chicken and the dog.

The compound is fresh and clean, both chicken and dog.

As you know, disease like the parasite coccidiosis is present in the environment.

Chicken, dogs infected by feces.

The birds’ poop and other germs cause cleanliness in the compound.

The following are common and different between chicken and dog.

Common

• The chickens and dogs are the pet’s animals.
• Both of them fall in a vertebra.
• They have a spinal cord or vertebra.
• The chicken and dogs are non-veg like the chicken eat insects, earthworms, and so on.
• Most dogs like non-veg but early age like milk.
• It would be best if you never gave chocolate to both chickens and dogs.
• If both chicken and dogs don’t eat, they will get sick or weak.

Different

• The chickens fall in birds, and the dog is a mammal.
• Most of the chickens are flightless birds and weigh less than dogs.
• As you know, chicken eats grains, insects, and earthworms; they eat small animals.
• The dog is omnivores but doesn’t eat grain, insects.
• The food best for chicken is sunflower seeds, animal protein, and clean oats.
• The food best for dogs is meats, nutrients from grains, fruits, and vegetables.
• The chicken can survive for four days.
• The dogs can survive without food for three or five days.

Is it to clean unwanted grass from your yards?

There is a lot of different unwanted grass and fungi.

In this compound, unwanted grass consists of poison.

Every day, the compound must clean and unwanted grass too.

These types of plants are a danger to dogs too.

Do you think daffodils are dangerous or poisonous to chickens?

All dogs have a strong smelling to poison plants.

They won’t eat in your yard.

The chicken doesn’t have strong-smelling, so they eat it.

According to this nature, chicken has fewer taste buds.

Naturally, it’s not right, and it is poison too.

They are also searching for food without fewer buds.

So you have to clean your garden.

You have to train your chicken like your dogs.

Plants like daffodils, tulips, lily, and so on are very poisonous to your chicken.

As you know, flower-like daffodils, the lily is beautiful flowers, but they are very harmful to them for chicken.

You learn about chicken and your dogs.

You always have to clean your yards with fresh water.

Is Dog Food Safe for My Chickens?

As you know, dog food is full of calcium and vitamins.

As your chicken is healthy, it is not harmful, but you notice different eating changes are harmful.

Also, chicken loves dog food, but you mustn’t substitute dog food.

In particular, chicken focuses on giving egg production.

Therefore, larger dogs consist of omegas and glucosamine.

Sometimes dog’s food is fine, but it harms the stomach of the chicken.

The dog’s food consists of protein and meat, but the main ingredient is calcium for chicken food.

Chicken meat and protein are tasty foods.

You have to see any change of eating for a chicken like:

Less production of eggs:

If you give a dog food, it may provide fewer eggs.

Dog’s food consists of omega and glucosamine. you have to check the egg’s production

Unusual eggs:

Sometimes the egg consists of two yolks and the size of squishy due to eating dog’s food.

The diet isn’t complete or unwanted food to raise usual eggs.

Changes of feathers:

The environment is warm and fresh, but the chicken’s feather changes.

The chicken isn’t digesting the dog’s food.

When you give a dog food, it can change its diet and rise to change its feathers.

Never substitute a dog’s food with chicken.

As the doctor never recommends dogs’ food to chicken as alter.

The chicken’s food consists of more calcium for laying eggs.

Calcium plays a vital role in giving eggs.

They give the calcium they need for egg production.

By chance, a dog’s food isn’t dangerous for chicken but never makes an alter.

The chicken needs a lot of calcium diet for egg production.

A healthy diet likes oatmeal for chicken, corn, pumpkin, and so on, but a dogs’ diet consists of meat, meat by-products, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Dogs need more protein food, but chicken needs more calcium.

You must give the dog’s food to the chicken’s food.

The chicken needs calcium for more egg production, but dogs need a heavy diet like meats, meat by production for more protein for energy.

Final Thoughts

Chickens can eat dog food entirely until and unless you feed them in limited quantities.

Dog’s food doesn’t harm chicken if you give it like a snack or treat.

It would be best if you kept in mind that chickens’ diet depends on their age.

The more they grow, the more they need protein food.

Dog’s food is healthier for chicken when it is mixed with other chicken food like fruits, insects, and vegetables.

If your chickens love to eat dog food, then you go ahead and attractively spread them.

It would help if you planned a properly nutritious diet for raising healthy chickens.

If you have anything you’d like to add to the answer to “Can Chickens Eat Dog Food?” feel free to let us know in the comments below.