Chickens HATE Black Oil Sunflower Seeds!!!!

[Pet Duck Boy]

Don't give up. Mine didn't eat any greens besides grass and weeds, but after a week of constant offerings of spinach they now would kill eachother just to get a mouthfull of it. Same goes for BOSS.

 

[kpramsey]

Mine are the same way, and I'm bound and determined that they WILL finish that huge bag! I have found that they like them sprouted quite a bit (soak 'em, water them twice a day for about a week.) The shells come off that way, and they seem less daunted by the whole thing, plus they'll eat anything that's just sprouted. Good luck!

 

[Little Fuzzy]

I worry they will get clogged up on those shells. So I bought organic shelled sunflower seeds, and they turned their beaks up at those but they love BOSS.

 

[Kev]

wow old thread.

I agree with those who said give them time, sometimes new things are not taken to for a while. Especially if there are a lot of things for them to eat.

I got a little bag ages ago, they would not eat that either so I quit buying them. Then I visited a a lady who has gleaming chickens(games though,, they are prone to be super shiny anyways but still) she said the BOSS gave them that extra shine. So I bought a bag for the birds from her.. and started to give it to my other chickens.. most turned up their noses at them. Until I started to throw a few them on the ground when their regular feed was out and they were obviously hungry.... that's when some finally gave more attention to the BOSS. Some eventually swallowed them and it was a cascade action from then on. Then they were fed... repeated on another day. Now they are all used to them and will eat them up if they are offered first with no problem. I don't do that anymore, it's just mixed into their regular feed and all of it is gone by the next day including the BOSS.

 

[balloonflower]

I worry they will get clogged up on those shells. So I bought organic shelled sunflower seeds, and they turned their beaks up at those but they love BOSS.

Think about this--we feed small rocks to chickens on purpose. Shells won't be a problem! And add good fiber in addition to the fats and protein.

 

[Little Fuzzy]

Yea I always wonder where those little rocks go, I never see them in the poop. I see some of my chickens eating quite a few at a time.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Yea I always wonder where those little rocks go, I never see them in the poop. I see some of my chickens eating quite a few at a time.

Used up grit gets pooped out along with everything else. You'd be amazed to see how tiny and smooth those rocks can get! Really emphasizes how much work it does in their digestion.

 

[Fuzzybumchickenfarm]

After reading numerous posts here on the BYC about the benefits of black oil sunflower seeds, and how everyone's birds loved them as treats, I went out and paid 18.00 for a 50 pound bag thinking my pet goose, jersey giants, dutch bantams, quail, and chukars would be quite please with me, well lemme say, not one sunflower seed was eaten. Am i supposed to do anything special to these seeds before i give them to my birds?

Same here I give them to the squirrels and birds!

 

[The Birb King]

Sometimes they can be picky about trying new things. Are your birds young?