Do chickens eat the shells of Black Oil Sunflower Seeds?

[Carolyn252]

Or do they crack them open and eat the kernel and leave the cracked-open shell behind?

 

[silkiechicken]

They test to see if something is inside, and swallow them whole.

 

[flockof4]

They eat the whole thing.

 

[Carolyn252]

Thanks everybody.

 

[250 Rose Hill]

I feed as a treat very good quality bird seeds including sunflower seeds in the shell. I lock the door to the coop at night and in the AM when I open the door I find many husks from the sunflower seeds in the large feeding dish. I find no evidence of mice and have set traps etc. Are the birds shelling the seeds? I have never seen the do it, but I am at a loss here.

 

[FogHorn79]

Mine eat the seed whole. Never seen them crack the seeds open.