Black oil sunflower seeds

[detali]

I throw out a couple of handfuls of bird seed that contains sunflower seed and millet seed to the chickens when I want them to come in to their enclosed run when they have been out in the chicken pasture. They love that treat so well, when they see me coming they come running. And yes their layer crumbles are always available to them.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Why does it say "not for human consumption" on the bag?

If they marketed them for human food, they'd be subject to a lot more FDA and USDA rules, and would probably have to clean them much better.

They WILL grow quite well most of the time​

 

[Moabite]

I'm gonna plant a bunch of BOSS in a tray to sprout and then feed them to the chicks. If I had room, I'd plant a few rows of them to mature. I did plant two varieties of the striped seeds. I might have to try salting and roasting some BOSS to see if I like them for myself.

 

[nanawendy]

My garden has a large area for sunflowers, the girls get a few flowers daily and they love, love, love pecking them from the blooms.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Our chickens decided to get a head start and just eat the plants that had sprouted. What bad girls!

It was my husband's project and he planted them along the outside of the run. It's not like they were that hard for the girls to find.

 

[phaethona]

My daughter and I decided to try to sprout some, we put 6 in a plastic bag with a wet paper towel(usually works when I do that with other seeds) and so far it's been over a week and no sprouts, should I try starting some in dirt?

 

[Ryu]

When I sprout BOSS I usually put a couple cups in the bottom of a bucket, moisten with water, drain the extra water off and let it set. Water rinse and drain every day until they sprout. Should be maybe 4-5 days until they are ready to feed.

I usually do it in the winter to give the birds a boost.

 

[Moabite]

I've got several sprouts in the garden right now. I'm trying a variation on the 'Three Sister's Garden" using sunflowers instead of corn with pumpkins and pole beans. So far, so good, but the squash bugs aren't out yet. I have another '3 sister's' going with 2 each of 5 varieties of squash (!!) and 3 harvests of corn. Now, if it would just warm up enough for things to grow. I'm gonna germinate some BOSS just as soon as I post this in an ice cream bucket.

 

[Don P]

Black Oil Sunflower seeds are valued for their oil content, which accounts for about 50% of the seed dry weight. Boss is an excellent protein source 16-20% and Sunflower protein is less rich in the amino acid lysine than soybean protein but it does have a relatively high amount of the amino acids cystine and methionine. BOSS has a lot of omega oil which is good for animals fur coats and helps feathers shine and stay healthy. BOSS is more readily eaten by chickens than flax seeds. The oil that adds fat to their diet and helps their weight will make feathers glossy and shiny. This is important because the oil on the feathers will help keep their bodies insulated against cold and dampness.

It has also been said that black oil sunflower seeds play a large role in egg production. If you have hens that aren’t laying like they used to, try adding sunflower seeds to give them a productivity boost. You should not only see a boost in the number of eggs laid, but also the quality, making sunflower seeds a worthwhile addition to your chickens’ diet. Even if you don’t see a change in the egg production of older hens and ultimately decide to cull, you will see an increase in their weight beforehand.

A Brazilian study found increased egg weight in hens fed sunflower seeds. Its researchers stated that increasing levels of sunflower seeds in daily rations did not affect feed intake, feed conversion or yolk color.

Sunflower seeds contain 31% more iron per gram than raisins, another popular source for iron.
Overall, sunflower seeds are a good source of a number of important nutrients.

Nutrient Amount (per 1 lb) Calories2588.40 Protein103.50 g Carbohydrates85.25 g Fiber(dietary) 47.74 g Sugars15.03 g Fat225.46 g Water24.38 g Omega-3 Fatty Acids0.25 g Omega-6 Fatty Acids148.40 g Lysine24.5 mg

Vitamins:

Vitamin Amount
(per 1 lb) Vitamin Amount
(per 1 lb)
Vitamin A 222.48 IU Thiamin 10.36 mg
Riboflavin 1.14 mg Niacin 20.46 mg
Vitamin B6 3.54 mg Vitamin C 6.32 mg
Vitamin E 340.50 IU Folate 1033.90 mcg
Vitamin K 12.25 mcg Pantothenic Acid 30.69 mg

Minerals:

Mineral Amount
(per 1 lb) Mineral Amount
(per 1 lb)
Calcium 527.43 mg Copper 7.96 mg
Iron 30.82 mg Magnesium 1609.57 mg
Manganese 9.22 mg Phosphorus 3205.50 mg
Potassium 3132.75 mg Selenium 270.53 mcg
Sodium 13.64 mg Zinc 22.99 mg

They are also high in amino acids...which are very important for muscle building and maintenance.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

I supplement/treat sunflower in winter for two basic reasons. It's a minimum 14% protein by weight, over 30% fat. The only treat besides some leftovers from fridge the birds get in winter is Sunflower, it doesn't severely lower overall protein intake like other treats and has that high straight to energy fat content that's tailored for cold days.

I plant what is left of my 50 lbs bag every spring. It depends on year and source what comes up. Some times it's Mammoth sunflower and other years it's...forget the name just now. The medium head sunflower with 5 to 7 heads per plant one. I make an entire end row as border in garden. Can usually harvest about a 1/5 of it after the wild birds and deer go to town.