Sunflower seeds

[Jennym]

Some of these people at these feeds stores do not know a darn thing. Some, not all.
anyone ever feed their chickens sweet feed? I'm trying to stock up on treats for the winter months.
I have heard pumpkins seeds are great for preventing worms. Speaking of, I have never wormed mine. Do you need to? If so what would be best wormer for a small flock of six soon to be laying eggs?

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Is there any reason they have to be black oil sunflower seeds? Other types of sunflower seeds are edible, so is it just that the black oil ones are preffered?

 

[CUDA]

It isn't that you can't use other kinds, but the black oil are the best nutrition wise, plus they have thinner hulls, and are smaller in size. Do NOT feed your chickens sweet feed, it contains molasses, which is a natural flush for chickens. It will give them very runny poo.

 

[Jennym]

Oh ok good to know. How about a wormer?

 

[CUDA]

Check this out HERE for more about worming.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

Quote:
I found that out the hard way...

Oh well, at least it cleaned them out of whatever they might have had that I didn't know about.

 

[Akane]

People at bigger feed stores and pet stores only repeat what they are told and read on the bags. If it doesn't say on the bag it works for a specific animal and how much to feed they will tell you that you shouldn't feed it. Most of the employees at such places don't have all that much first hand experience with the animals. Smaller places tend to have more employees with first hand experience that can tell you what really does work or not instead of just what they've been told to tell you.

Black oil sunflower seeds are dirt cheap here in the fall. I was using them in place of grain for my horses partially for that reason and because it's actually healthier than grain for horses. I could get 50lb bags for $5 and then $10 toward the middle of winter. It's only early spring that BOSS goes up to around $20. All you have to do is stock up in the fall when they are on sale. Provided you keep the vermin out (mice go nuts for this stuff when the weather turns cold) you can keep several bags on hand through spring.

 

[Cuban Longtails]

That is cheap... I've never seen them that cheap. They sell for over $25 a 50lb bag in this area - year round.

 

[CUDA]

That's why I plant my own...

 

[Akane]

I tried to plant my own. 500 seeds. 2 sunflower plants. Darn squirrels. I even covered it over in mesh but they still got them.