hemp for chickens?

[Titan Farm]

Hemp is an industrial product! I will not be feeding it to my brood.

Technically all feed, grain, vitamin and mineral is a "industrial" product.

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

I have saved several chicks and pullets with hemp protein. I use it as supportive care supplement when they are not eating well due to illness. I only use Nutiva Organic Hemp Protien powder. I will syringe feed it to sickly chicks or mix it into layer feed as a protein boost. It has been my experience that it is well accepted by birds of different ages. They have been able to recuperate quickly from Coccidia; along with the sulfonamide antibiotic the hemp is fed to give strength until the bird can eat on their own. Also, when I use Goldenseal and Echinacea for my birds, I use the hemp protein as a base for syringe feeding. I use the hemp protein myself for smoothies, it's delicious and highly nutritious!

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

FYI - When they refer to industrial hemp, they are referring to the strain of hemp that is used for textile, food and animal feed. We all know what Marijuana is used for. Although the two plants are related, hemp products contain only trace levels of THC and will not cause a psychoactive effect. Hemp is one of the world's oldest agricultural crops. It is also contains minerals and beneficial fats. If you assume it is like Marijuana you may miss out on an excellent source of easily digestible vegetable protein.

 

[Digby57]

And if your chickens get high from the 0.3% limit for THC then good for them. I see everyone critiquing and expertly opining on the relative "flightiness" of chicken breeds around here, so why would you be against feeding them cannabis at all? Chickens also prefer reggae, so cut it out with the new country.

They can eat more than just the seeds by the way. Even cattle (ruminants) can eat the whole plant. It was completely legal for a farmer to grow until 90 years ago, but we'll not get into all the particulars on a non-political forum. Suffice it to say that the reason it's not more widely grown now has nothing to do with its inherent danger as a feed for livestock.

CBD isn't bad for chickens (or you). Just because a crop is "industrial" doesn't mean it couldn't be "organic" (if you care about these kinds of words). The real problem is that people are not used to using hemp seed to the point that they resist even considering it's use in light of its latin name. Cannabis! Oooooooo! That or they think it's too hard to get, which it's really not if you try. Or it's too expensive, and I hope that will change (I think it will).

I got 100 lbs for $100 and it's 10% of my ration. I started day-old chicks on it day 1 of receiving them. Maybe they're high, I don't know. I do know that their feathers are extra shiny and they like reggae. They also requested that they not be fed flax seed because they wanted their eggs to taste right. That's all I'm saying. (That and I like to use parentheses too much).

 

[Hen Pen Jem]

LOL!!!

 

[Embalmergirl]

I'm always looking for new, yummy things to feed my girls. I feed them flax seed with no ill effects to them or their eggs.

 

[ironpotter]

I know this thread is a few months old but I've been looking to add hemp seed to my feed and I'm having trouble finding affordable prices. The cheapest I've found is 25 lbs for $75. Those of you that are feeding hemp, where are you getting it and how much do you pay?

 

[Percheron chick]

I pulled 660# of organic hemp out of the neighbor's dumpster (humus manufacturer). Best price ever. Free!.

 

[maryph]

Their was an chart on what to feed your chickens, does anyone know how to sen that to my email, [email protected]

 

[maryph]

Their was an chart on what to feed your chickens, does anyone know how to sen that to my email, [email protected]