Dumb question about BOSS?

[Sublight]

I bought a bag from Wal mart, and they are still in their shells. Did I buy the wrong thing? Or can the chickens open the seeds?

 

[Hawgfan]

They'll eat them whole, shell and all. It'll all be processed as the seeds travel through the digestive tract. They will need access to some kind of grit, whether from the ground or something you provide. I haven't fed these very often, but my chickens and ducks enjoyed them and had no issues.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The chickens will grind those up in their gizzards and digest them. Go ahead and feed them. But don't overfeed them. As the name implies they are pretty high in oil. That oil should make their feathers nice and shiny but a little goes a long way.

There are also pretty high in protein, they are a good snack for them. Just don't overdo it.

 

[Sublight]

I don't give any grit to my birds. I assume they get their grit from the dirt.

 

[Hawgfan]

I don't give any grit to my birds. I assume they get their grit from the dirt.

They very likely do. It's just something to keep in mind, depending on your soil and how much access your flock has to gather their own grit. You may have fed whole seeds in the past with success.

 

[azygous]

It's easy to determine if your soil has adequate grit. Find a representative plot of dry soil. Sift some through a sieve that's at least a sixteenth inch mesh. If what's left in the sieve is not over 1/8th inch and has angular edges, it's adequate grit for your chickens.

Mine are on a run filled with masonry sand and it has material of this size and shape, but I also supplement it with granite grit to be sure they are getting what they need. I also have very gravely soil, and they get plenty of grit when they free range.

The consequences of inadequate grit are impacted crops and gizzards and sick chickens. Grit is as necessary as proper feed. If your soil is fine clay or fine flood plain soil, it may not have adequate grit in it.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

They sure love BOSS soaked a night then rinsed a few times a day until it sprouts.