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Whole Dried Peas?

post #1 of 14
9/5/12 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 

Can/Should you feed chickens whole dried spring planted peas?  I feed wheat whole, crack the corn in summer and leave it whole in the winter.  The peas are larger than the wheat but smaller than the whole dried corn.  I have a large electric crimper/cracker and it cracks super fast but is this necessary?  Always looking for ways to make things easier!

City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

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City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

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post #2 of 14
9/6/12 at 6:14am

I feed whole grains, too, and dried field peas.  I do crack those, though, because Harvey Ussery does (author of The Small Scale Poultry Flock).  Maybe it isn't necessary--they gobble up the whole ones I sometimes throw down for them.  BTW, what kind of electric crimper/cracker do you have?  Mine is hand-cranked and nearly useless for cracking the peas and corn so I'm in the market for an electric one.

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

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Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply
post #3 of 14
9/6/12 at 7:10am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by countrygoddess View Post

I feed whole grains, too, and dried field peas.  I do crack those, though, because Harvey Ussery does (author of The Small Scale Poultry Flock).  Maybe it isn't necessary--they gobble up the whole ones I sometimes throw down for them.  BTW, what kind of electric crimper/cracker do you have?  Mine is hand-cranked and nearly useless for cracking the peas and corn so I'm in the market for an electric one.

We have late Grandpa's old crimper/cracker, I will have to look at the brand name but I don't think this particular one is available anymore.  It works awesome but the rollors have gotten too smooth so we need to send those in and get them worked on.  The peas crack in a heartbeat but it is starting to have a hard time with the corn.  He used it for umpteen years on oats and corn for all of the farm animals.

 

I have read everywhere that the peas should be cracked but no reasons why.  Always looking to make things simpler...............

City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

Reply

City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

Reply
post #4 of 14
9/6/12 at 7:37am
We feed a yellow field pea to our chickens. We have fed them whole and we have ran them through the roller/crimper. There is less waste with the ground feed but no difference in health of the chickens. I see nothing wrong with feeding whole peas, wheat, oats, barley or corn.
Hens: 16 Leghorns or California Whites, 5 Trader Joe's Leghorns, 14 Red Stars or Gold Stars, 10 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Rhodes Island Reds, 4 Silver Laced Wyandotes, 4 Ameraucana, 7 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandote X Barred Rock, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock. = 64 Hens - chicks 89
Roosters: 1 Trader Joe's Leghorn Rooster, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock Rooster
Nursing Home hatch-a-long
Reply
Hens: 16 Leghorns or California Whites, 5 Trader Joe's Leghorns, 14 Red Stars or Gold Stars, 10 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Rhodes Island Reds, 4 Silver Laced Wyandotes, 4 Ameraucana, 7 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandote X Barred Rock, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock. = 64 Hens - chicks 89
Roosters: 1 Trader Joe's Leghorn Rooster, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock Rooster
Nursing Home hatch-a-long
Reply
post #5 of 14
9/6/12 at 2:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zanna View Post

We have late Grandpa's old crimper/cracker, I will have to look at the brand name but I don't think this particular one is available anymore.  It works awesome but the rollors have gotten too smooth so we need to send those in and get them worked on.  The peas crack in a heartbeat but it is starting to have a hard time with the corn.  He used it for umpteen years on oats and corn for all of the farm animals.

 

I have read everywhere that the peas should be cracked but no reasons why.  Always looking to make things simpler...............

I looked online today for used mills and good ones are SOOO expensive, even used!  *sigh*

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply
post #6 of 14
9/6/12 at 2:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by what did I do View Post

We feed a yellow field pea to our chickens. We have fed them whole and we have ran them through the roller/crimper. There is less waste with the ground feed but no difference in health of the chickens. I see nothing wrong with feeding whole peas, wheat, oats, barley or corn.

I think as long as you provide enough granite grit for them, they'll consume what they need of that in order to be able to properly digest the whole grains and peas.

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply
post #7 of 14
9/6/12 at 7:21pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by countrygoddess View Post

I looked online today for used mills and good ones are SOOO expensive, even used!  *sigh*

Ours cost quite a bit too. It was about 100g but they threw in a chunk of land and some other buildings and junk.
Hens: 16 Leghorns or California Whites, 5 Trader Joe's Leghorns, 14 Red Stars or Gold Stars, 10 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Rhodes Island Reds, 4 Silver Laced Wyandotes, 4 Ameraucana, 7 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandote X Barred Rock, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock. = 64 Hens - chicks 89
Roosters: 1 Trader Joe's Leghorn Rooster, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock Rooster
Nursing Home hatch-a-long
Reply
Hens: 16 Leghorns or California Whites, 5 Trader Joe's Leghorns, 14 Red Stars or Gold Stars, 10 Buff Orpingtons, 2 Rhodes Island Reds, 4 Silver Laced Wyandotes, 4 Ameraucana, 7 Barred Rock, 1 Silver Laced Wyandote X Barred Rock, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock. = 64 Hens - chicks 89
Roosters: 1 Trader Joe's Leghorn Rooster, 1 Leghorn X Barred Rock Rooster
Nursing Home hatch-a-long
Reply
post #8 of 14
9/6/12 at 9:20pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by what did I do View Post


Ours cost quite a bit too. It was about 100g but they threw in a chunk of land and some other buildings and junk.

Actually sounds like a deal!!!

 

General consensus, peas are fine to feed whole.  I got some responses on the "Old Timers Thread" as well.  Thanks for all your opinions everyone, I will be feeding the peas whole!

City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

Reply

City girl turned Country girl!  Married to my wonderful hubby 23 years and Living The Dream!

 Delawares, Black Copper Marans, and Welsummers.

"Years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do.  So throw off the bow lines.  Sail away from the safe harbor.  Catch the tradewinds in your sails.  Explore.  Dream.  Discover."  Mark Twain

 

 

Reply
post #9 of 14
9/7/12 at 5:34am
Quote:
Originally Posted by what did I do View Post


Ours cost quite a bit too. It was about 100g but they threw in a chunk of land and some other buildings and junk.

Haha, I meant electric or hand crank mills.  Not grist mill buildings. ;-)

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply

Hill House Dorkings is home not only to 10 Silver Gray Dorkings, but also 3 Cuckoo Marans, 2 Golden Sebright Bantams, and 1 Mille Fleur d'Uccle bantam.  I'm an RN, a Master Gardener, and a wife to my husband of 15 years and mommy to my two kids, ages 9 and 12.  Our family also includes a kitty, a Leonberger, 2 hermit crabs, and 2 guinea pigs.  Whew!

Reply
post #10 of 14
9/7/12 at 4:42pm

Hi Zanna,

 

have you thought of soaking/sprouting the peas? It makes them so much better nutritionally (lower levels of anti-nutritional compounds) and far easier for the birds to digest.

 

I sprout everything here: wheat; peas; corn; sunflower; you name it. Just soak 24 hours in a large water bucket then hang in a bag and feed out over the next 3-4 days. Works brilliantly and keeps birds in good health (along with other ingredients of course).

 

cheers

Erica
 

http://www.permachicken.com Permaculture chicken blog: raising chickens with fewer industrial inputs.

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http://www.permachicken.com Permaculture chicken blog: raising chickens with fewer industrial inputs.

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