Why sunflower seed?

[lynnemabry]

The number one reason to feed BOSS is that they love it.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

The hulled that's the type people eat is a different type of sunflower, with less fat and more protein. I like to give that to any of my girls having a hard molt, where they have naked skin showing, especially if it's late in the year and cold weather's coming soon. It really seems to make the feathers grow out faster. It's 22-23% protein and has a lot of methionine, the amino acid that's high in feathers. Mine like the BOSS in the shell, too, that's sold as wild bird seed.

 

[Ariel301]

So most people basically use it as a treat, then? It's sort of an expensive treat when you're talking about 50-100 birds, it's almost a dollar a pound here.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Quote:
That is high! I get mine from a bulk dispenser that is .59 per pound. Are you getting it from the same place you buy chicken feed? Look around, different types of packaging make a big difference in price.

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
Wow a dollar a pound.
I get it for 47.00 a hundred (.47 a pound) at the feed mill.

Chris

 

[Erica]

I mix my own feed and use BOSS (whole) for the methionine, among other things (as WoodlandWoman said

). Commercial feeds have artificial methionine which isn't utilised completely and to my reading may have health consequences.

I keep it to about 5% of the diet as there are antinutritional factors to consider (true of many foods, by the way).

regards
Erica

 

[Ariel301]

Feed is just expensive in general here. I mix my own from ingredients I buy from all different places, mostly I feed grain left over from a local brewery. When they have layer feed at the feed store here, it is $20 for 50 pounds, and they only sell it in the spring when they are selling chicks--at $5 a chick! Walmart is the only place carrying the sunflower seed, and it's expensive.