Anyone Feed Sunflower Seeds to Chickens

[DaisyFields]

I have a small sunflower field, and while I had them I'd give the chickens both seeds and the whole sunflower head full of seeds - really fun to watch them go at a big sunflower! Next year I'm going to try and get some pictures of them with the sunflowers, it was SO cute...

 

[JeffOeuf]

Z O U!!!

Delayed reaction.

I love the idea of growing sunflowers and giving the whole head to the chickens...but...the last time I raised sunflowers I had Japanese beetles in my garden worse than ever before. I attributed it to the sunflowers, since that was the first thing they swarmed, but then they hit my beans and tomatoes. I've quit growing sunflowers and my JB infestations are way down.

Anyone else experienced this, or was it coincidence?

BTW, my girls love B.O.S.S., too. The songbirds make a mess with them, but the girls clean up under the feeder. Then they get some of their own, too.

 

[humphrey farms]

My hens love it, it's a daily treat. I sometimes mix in cracked corn, or meal worms, or crushed egg shell to add some variety for them. I also have a toddler who loves to feed treats to the chickens, they already come running as soon as they see her!

I mix BOSS into my chickens daily feed along w/scratch and layer pellets. They love the seeds and with winter coming need more protein & fats.

 

[kuntrygirl]

My hens love it, it's a daily treat.   I sometimes mix in cracked corn, or meal worms, or crushed egg shell to add some variety for them.  I also have a toddler who loves to feed treats to the chickens, they already come running as soon as they see her!

I mix BOSS into my chickens daily feed along w/scratch and layer pellets. They love the seeds and with winter coming need more protein & fats.

I wish that I could afford BOSS but I can't anymore. The price is $32.00 for a bag.

 

[humphrey farms]

I wish that I could afford BOSS but I can't anymore. The price is $32.00 for a bag.

I bought 20 lbs of BOSS at WalMart's for $16 plus state sales tax. I mix 1 cp into their regular grain and 1 cp scratch also.

 

[ChickensRDinos]

Has anyone ever had a chicken get a sunflower seed stuck in it's throat? Is it safe to feed the sunflower seeds with the shell on?

My hens will swollen mice whole. Sunflower seeds are no problem.

 

[DaisyFields]

Z O U!!!

Delayed reaction.

I love the idea of growing sunflowers and giving the whole head to the chickens...but...the last time I raised sunflowers I had Japanese beetles in my garden worse than ever before. I attributed it to the sunflowers, since that was the first thing they swarmed, but then they hit my beans and tomatoes. I've quit growing sunflowers and my JB infestations are way down.

Anyone else experienced this, or was it coincidence?

BTW, my girls love B.O.S.S., too. The songbirds make a mess with them, but the girls clean up under the feeder. Then they get some of their own, too.

LOL - I think my rose garden lures the JBs away from my sunflowers...the roses are covered, but the sunflowers are ok - go figure!

 

[Darkwings]

Like everyone else, my girls love BOSS. As far as the worry about choking on them or such, some of my birds eat them whole and others crack them and just eat the seeds. So I think they sort of figure out on their own what they can handle.

 

[Johnna]

Is it bad for them eat them regularly? We have BOSS mixed with their food and they LOVE them. But I was worried it was too much protein. I get an egg a day from each hen and our one female guinea. So, they seem to be doing fine. But one of my girls gets a pretty large "bump" in her crop. I wonder she is ok or if she is eating too many???

Any advice?

 

[donnavee]

Maybe I'm just paranoid but I have always heard that wild birds can carry disease so I keep my chickens away from under the bird feeders. They have managed to get out a cople of times and always head straight for the bird feeders where they have a great time until I catch them. Thankfully, none have ever gotten sick.