When is a sunflower head ripe enough...?

[cthrash1]

to cut of and lay in the run for the chickens to pick at? Mine are all hanging and the petals are done, now all the head has are the seeds(white with little black stripe) and the tiny flowers on the seeds... Can the chickens eat the tiny flowers too or do I brush them off?

 

[chickiedoodle]

They can eat the flowers too. I pull up the whole plant and toss it to the girls. Mine are usually not quite as ripe as yours seem to be because if I let them go that long the wild birds eat them all first

 

[cthrash1]

Aw ok... Thanks. Didn't know I could throw in the whole plant, would make things a little easier. Guess I should have left the flowers on it to draw the girls to it... Right now they are looking at it as if it's an alien or something.