/ Register


  1. Come check out hundreds of awesome coop pages (and a few that need suggestions) in our 2018 Coop Rating Project!

question on soy beans

Discussion in 'New Member Introductions' started by Jakobi, Sep 19, 2016.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Sep 19, 2016 #1
    Jakobi

    Jakobi Hatching

    1
    0
    7
    Sep 19, 2016
    Good morning.
    I am not yet a chicken mama, looking forward to being this spring though. We live on 7 acres, surrounded by farm field that rotates soybeans and corn. The coop will be behind our barn right at the edge of the field. I am planning on free ranging our girls - is this going to be an issue with the soybeans? Its not our field, so I am worried #1 that they will ruin the plants and #2 that the beans won't be good for them. Any help or info would be greatly appreciated. I look forward to all of your expert opinions.
     

  4. Sep 19, 2016 #2
    redsoxs

    redsoxs Crowing

    25,645
    1,946
    463
    Jul 17, 2011
    North Central Kansas
    Greetings from Kansas and :welcome. Great to have you with us. Here's an old link where chickens eating soybeans is discussed: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/98543/can-chickens-eat-soybeans
    Intuitively, it would seem that soybeans shouldn't be a problem - wild game birds like pheasant and quail do okay on them. The thread says yes to soybeans but that should be cooked first? I'll defer to others rather than give you incorrect advice. You might also post here https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/housing-and-feeding-your-chickens
    In terms of them hurting the plants, I know the beans themselves are encased in a fuzzy, tough pod that I don't think chickens would undertake. A lot of work for the reward. After harvest there are always loose beans that scatter. But I think they could trample the plants foraging after the grasshoppers that seem to infest soybean fields!
    Good luck to you and thanks for joining BYC! :)
     
    1 person likes this.
  6. Sep 19, 2016 #3
    BantamFan4Life

    BantamFan4Life LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO. Premium Member

    84,500
    3,934
    646
    Jun 15, 2012
    Washington
    Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us! :)
     
  8. Sep 19, 2016 #4
    Cynthia12

    Cynthia12 Always Grateful Premium Member

    32,057
    11,079
    826
    Apr 11, 2010
    Utah
    [​IMG]

    Thinking you may want to keep them in a run until the fields take off and are older. Not sure how many chickens you have, but they could still be after those plants every day. :/ Go to the housing/feeding link given. There will be some there that know how they could be around the plant. I'm sure they can eat it, it's just how much they will mow down!
     
  10. Sep 19, 2016 #5
    BuffOrpington88

    BuffOrpington88 Non-Stop

    1,395
    180
    216
    Mar 20, 2012
    Hi and welcome to BYC! You've already got some great advice, so I just wanted to say thanks for joining us! [​IMG]
     
  12. Sep 19, 2016 #6
    CuzChickens

    CuzChickens CountryChick

    5,596
    2,199
    336
    Apr 24, 2016
    Virginia
    Welcome to Backyard chickens!! I hope you enjoy it and the camaraderie here and everybody that goes nuts over chickens (me being one of them....) Have fun! And ask questions!
     
  14. Sep 20, 2016 #7
    drumstick diva

    drumstick diva Still crazy after all these years. Premium Member

    98,211
    53,856
    1,477
    Aug 26, 2009
    Out to pasture
    I don't know about soybeans but Raccoons and such LOVE corn. I would imagine they would be ransacking your neighbors crops once they are mature. Raccoons love chicken as well, and that will spill over to your birds. It might be best to have your flock in a large run covered run rather than free range.
     

  17. Sep 20, 2016 #8
    QueenMisha

    QueenMisha Queen of the Coop

    6,022
    859
    296
    Jan 14, 2015
    Placerville, California, USA
    Welcome to BYC! It's great to have you.

    Chickens will kill practically any plant they can get their hands (er, well, wings) on.
     

BackYard Chickens is proudly sponsored by