Cannabis for chickens? What is your thoughts?

[U_Stormcrow]

Stormcrow would say that he hasn't looked into the nutritional value of cannabis as a chicken feed. its his understanding that it has higher economic value when put to other uses, so feeding it directly instead of selling it and using the funds to purchase a complete nutrition feed seems wasteful and inefficient.

BUT, hemp seed has a decent protein level (23-24%), high fiber compared to many seeds (not a great thing), but lower fat than BOSS - its middle of the road for a seed, in the mid 30s usually. Hemp seed's amino acid profile is imbalanced. Pound per pound, its a good source of Methione, Threonine, and Tryptophan compared to many other vegatable ingredients, but a comparatively poor source of Lysine (though still good enough to meet the minimum recommends).

Due to fat levels, I wouldn't put more than 10% in a feed (which I would otherwise tend to try and assemble with low fat sources), and I'd pair it with an equal weight of a legume or pulse - one of the legume meals whose fat levels have been reduced, cow peas, winter peas, chick peas, fava beans, etc which are all high lysine sources.

Since you asked.

 

[Moonbeam Guineas]

Pot grows wild here and after they re-dug out the ditches they dumped the dirt on our property which added even more wild weed to our land. It grows 7-8 ft in thick stocks, it's very dense towards the top where the sunlight hits it and is fairly sparse below. Where the weed is heavy on the property it looks like a little jungle. The chickens and ducks LOVE to spend the entire day in there! It provides fantastic protection from the aerial predators because you can't see anything hiding below, the bugs are drawn to it like moths to a light and it's also great shade. I have no idea if they snack on it while they're in there, but then again I have yet to see my chickens get into a fight and they're very mellow so maybe

What a cool story ..sounds like nirvana.

 

[Moonbeam Guineas]

Stormcrow would say that he hasn't looked into the nutritional value of cannabis as a chicken feed. its his understanding that it has higher economic value when put to other uses, so feeding it directly instead of selling it and using the funds to purchase a complete nutrition feed seems wasteful and inefficient.

BUT, hemp seed has a decent protein level (23-24%), high fiber compared to many seeds (not a great thing), but lower fat than BOSS - its middle of the road for a seed, in the mid 30s usually. Hemp seed's amino acid profile is imbalanced. Pound per pound, its a good source of Methione, Threonine, and Tryptophan compared to many other vegatable ingredients, but a comparatively poor source of Lysine (though still good enough to meet the minimum recommends).

Due to fat levels, I wouldn't put more than 10% in a feed (which I would otherwise tend to try and assemble with low fat sources), and I'd pair it with an equal weight of a legume or pulse - one of the legume meals whose fat levels have been reduced, cow peas, winter peas, chick peas, fava beans, etc which are all high lysine sources.

Since you asked.

Thanks, very interesting. So glad you commented.

 

[raingarden]

Pot grows wild here

That would be hemp. No?

 

[HollowOfWisps]

That would be hemp. No?

No it is a type of Cannabis that grows wild here.

 

[raingarden]

No it is a type of Cannabis that grows wild here.

Oh, OK. Hemp is a cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive ingredient). Marijuana is a cannabis plant that contines more than 0.3% THC. They freely pollinate each other.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral...weed throughout the Middle West." Eradication

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Oh, OK. Hemp is a cannabis plant that contains less than 0.3% THC (the psychoactive ingredient). Marijuana is a cannabis plant that contines more than 0.3% THC. They freely pollinate each other.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral...weed throughout the Middle West." Eradication

Yeah after I posted I talked to my husband and he was like "Well hemp and marijuana are both cannabis. What's out back is a feral mix of cannabis plants imported years ago gone wild." Shows what I know about it lol I just know it's there

 

[sdm111]

They can eat all the fresh stuff they want and won't get loaded. Not until it's carbolized or burned would it