Japanese Millet

[bryan8]

I have a a 40x30 garden that I couldn't plant this year. I'm going to just do Japanese Millet in it. Can I feed this to the girls? And how do I go about giveing it to them, just the heads or the whole thing

 

[bryan8]

Anyone??it's also know as jap buckwheat

 

[gritsar]

Would that be the same thing as the millet you would feed to pet birds, like parakeets?
I know that kind is perfectly fine for chickens and they really love it. When mine were young I had to take the stalks away from them, otherwise they would try to eat it, stalk and all.
Hope this helps.

 

[digitS']

We are almost to the first of August, Bryan. Do you think that you have enuf time for a crop to mature?

As I understand it, Japanese millet is usually grown as green feed for cattle. Proso is the birdseed millet altho' it is foxtail millet that you can buy as a spray to hang in your birdcage as a treat.

I have grown a little foxtail millet in the garden for the last 5 years, or so. It is easy to grow and the chickens certainly appreciate it. It's quick but I certainly wouldn't be able to plant it now and expect it to produce seed.

About the only "trick" to growing foxtail millet is getting it out of the garden before the wild finches eat it. At least, they let you know when it is ready to harvest. Growing requirements seem to be much the same as sweet corn.

Steve