Are regular sunflower seeds ok??

[Ruth Ann]

I see many give their chickens the BOSS seeds. But I have some regular sunflower seed heads
that I want to give my chickens. The kind with the stripe on them.
Will they eat them...
anything wrong with giving them the striped ones?
I want to put the hole head in and let them peck them at their leisure.
Would appreciate any input.

 

[Katy]

They'll love them....I've done it with mine many times.

 

[Akane]

Less ideal since the hulls themselves are more difficult to digest and carry less nutrients than the black oil sunflowers but they can eat them.

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

This is good to know, as I was wondering the same thing..... Thanks

 

[woodmort]

Hope so, my birds camp under the feeder and wait for the songbirds to kick some out.

 

[crj]

Sure, you can feed them to the chickens. I have some I have to give mine. I do however, give my chickens BOSS sunflower seeds. The reason is the BOSS have a softer shell and are easier to eat. I feed them to my horses too. The others have very hard shells and the animals can choke on them. That's the only difference.

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

I grow all kinds of sunflowers, including BOSS, because I like 'em. When they dry out I cut the heads off and give them to the chickens before the native birds get them. It gives my birds something to do and they like 'em too.

 

[cpchicks]

I just planted some BOSS, today. I know it's late, but I thought I'd give it a try. What do the plants look like? Do they get tall with one big head, or do they produce many smaller flowers?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
One large flower at the top. Depending on where you are, sun exposure, water, etc., you might have time before the first frost.

 

[cpchicks]

Thanks Gallo del Cielo. I'm in northern CA. All my other sunflowers are blooming already but we'll see. I put the seeds in my greenhouse to give them a good start, then I'll pick a warm sunny spot for them in the garden. I'd love to dry it and give the whole head to them in the winter.

Cheryl