Can you feed your chickens sunflowers?

sunny & the 5 egg layers

Crowing
8 Years
Mar 29, 2011
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I was curious if I could feed my chickens some sunflowers. Not seeds. I was thinking about planting some sunflowers and feeding them to my chickens. Are sunflowers good for them? Thanks everyone.
 
I don't know I know they love sunflower seeds. I also know my chickens will eat anything that does not eat them first.
 
I planted giant sunflowers in the garden last year. Once they were finally done....heads flopped over and looked like they were drying up I would put them in the run. They thought I was trying to kill them on the first one. Went back later and not one single seed was left. So, yes.....plant them, grow them and they will eat them. Sunflower seeds are BOSS.
 
Last summer my hens ate every sunflower I planted....seeds, petals, leaves and roots! They loved them. And the seeds are a great source of protien and oils. They will love you for it.
 
If you want to grow flowers and let the chickens eat the seeds, there are MANY out there that will fit the bill. Echinacea (aka Purple Cone Flower) is one. Another you may not have thought of goes by a few different common names (for the different varieties). One is "Joseph's Coat", another is "Love Lies Bleeding." They are all forms of ornamental amaranth, and those seeds are high in protein -- and the amino acid profile is different from most other grains, to the extent that it can be used instead of a legume. It's on my list of ornamental plants that's safe (and beneficial) to be planted in aviaries for finches. You can often find forms of ornamental amaranth sold in annual flats at nurseries. Or, if you like, you can find them in seed catalogs.

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If you're wanting to grow flowers, sunflowers are the way to go. They're gorgeous and provide for your chickens. I don't plant them in my run as they'll get trampled but last year I planted them and when they were full grown and began to dry out I threw the sunflower head in their pen and it was gone in a snap! Sunflower seeds provide an excellent source of important oils and they're delicious! It's the way to go for an inexpensive treat.
QP
 

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