what to do with field peas / cooking peas

[ash10383]

So I recently started making my own feed from a mixture of whole grains and field peas were one of the grains that I bought a 50# bag of. The recipe called for them whole so the first batch I made I mixed them in whole. The girls were not impressed.. at all...they left them in the feed pan and I'd see darker ones on the ground outside of the feed pan (assuming they thought they were BOSS and then spit them out). So then I tried sprouting them hoping they would eat them this way, again not impressed. they may have ate a few but not many. I don't have a mill other wise I would try them in smaller pieces. What are my other options to serve peas? I have pigs I can feed them too so they don't go to waste but I'd rather find a way the chickens will eat them since they are higher in protein and make the feed a little more varied. Does cooking the peas lower their protein level any? It's obviously an easy thing to try but not sure how it affects the nutritional value of them. TIA

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I have read on here before that raw legumes are not good for chickens. Cooked is fine but raw has hemaglutin which is bad for them. I was making my own scratch a one point and had raw lentils in it - the birds also refused to eat those and I was thinking perhaps they knew they shouldn't? Peas are technically legumes so perhaps it is the same thing.

I am not certain but cooking them may work.

 

[ash10383]

Yes I have also seen that raw legumes are not not good for chickies but thought I had also read that field peas were an exception.

 

[Cindy in PA]

You don't have to cook field peas. I don't think cooking them would alter the protein etc. You can also try not filling the feeder until they eat them.