# Are sunflower seeds okay to give to your chickens?



## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

I recently was talking to some friends who also have chickens, and one friend said to never give sunflowers seeds (in their shells) to your chickens, as it can cause crop impaction. My other friend said she actually grew sunflowers for her chickens to enjoy! 

I would be curious to know what people think...as I would have thought sunflower seeds would be ok, as long as you dont feed too many at once (they have a high fat content anyway) and supply your chooks with plenty of grit.


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

I've given them to mine for 2 years with no problems. A friend of mine who has had chickens for years has always given them to hers. Said it helps with their egg shells.


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## fuzziebutt (Aug 7, 2012)

I grew the big huge ugly ones here, just because I like the looks of them. In the fall, I would cut the head off the flower, and throw it in the coop. The chickens were afraid of it for awhile, but when it dried and the seeds started to come off, they would eat some, but not alot.


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

I give mine some black oil sunflower seeds mixed in with their scratch. I know many people who do and grow their own for their birds. I think as long as it is in moderation and they have lots of grit and water it is a good thing.


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## ladyt (Sep 16, 2012)

Hello, I give mine sunflower hearts which I buy for my feed suppliers.. I mix them in with there corn for there afternoon treat... They really enjoy them and there have been no problems so far, they also like linseed and white millet...
You should be ok giving them sunflower hearts as there quite soft, ask at your feed suppliers next time your there, they will probably be losed not bagged up, I get 1kg every 2 weeks..x


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

i gave mine sunflower seeds, they didnt like them very much. they love mixed corn though.


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

*Black oil* sunflower seeds are one of the best treats you can offer a chicken, in my opinion. High in protein and make for some beautiful plumage.

You might run into crop problems if BOSS were the primary ingredient in their diet, but as a treat? No problem. They do need access to grit - naturally or supplemented - to digest them; just like they would any hard grain.


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## ChickensSayMoo (Sep 5, 2012)

Thank you everyone for your replies 

My chickens love sunflower seeds too....so I was hoping that they wouldnt be a problem!

Thanks again all


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## mcderry1967 (Oct 14, 2012)

Bird_slave said:


> *Black oil* sunflower seeds are one of the best treats you can offer a chicken, in my opinion. High in protein and make for some beautiful plumage.
> 
> You might run into crop problems if BOSS were the primary ingredient in their diet, but as a treat? No problem. They do need access to grit - naturally or supplemented - to digest them; just like they would any hard grain.


My chickens get *BOSS *everyday along with scratch. They free range all day until they roost. And layer feed is available which sometimes they eat and sometimes they ignore. Their plumage is so shiny and they seem to glow. Our first eggs are nicely shelled. My question  why would you run into crop problems if the flock consumes big amounts of this seed?


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## lorindaeb (Oct 23, 2012)

My girls love black oil sunflower seeds!! I usually mix their layer feed, the sunflower seeds and scratch all together for their everyday food. I also put a little oyster shell in, but not much. They free range all day in the backyard. They eat their regular food here and there but seem to be happier finding random bugs and plants in my yard. I also give table scraps once in a while but try to keep the fat and salt content to a minimum.


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## Bird_slave (Oct 26, 2012)

mcderry1967 said:


> My chickens get *BOSS *everyday along with scratch. They free range all day until they roost. And layer feed is available which sometimes they eat and sometimes they ignore. Their plumage is so shiny and they seem to glow. Our first eggs are nicely shelled. My question  why would you run into crop problems if the flock consumes big amounts of this seed?


 _Supposedly_ you can run into crop impaction issues if they are fed so many that they gorge themselves on them.
I don't feed traditional scratch anymore. A couple of years ago an outlet store for a semi-local feed mill opened near us. They sell something called Black Rooster which they call a game bird feed, but is really a high protein mix of 7 different grains (and various other nutrients), i.e, scratch *grains*. It's the primary food I feed my waterfowl and what I use in place of scratch (corn) which is relatively low in protein and more fattening than anything else. This black rooster has plenty of BOSS in it and I've never run into a problem with crop impaction. *knock on wood*


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## bountyhunter69 (Sep 22, 2012)

my pullets are 5-6 months old.are they old enuff for cracked corn?


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## piglett (Jun 21, 2012)

my understanding is if you feed TOO MUCH BOSS the hens may stop laying
however i give my flock some & they lay great
maybe if that's all they had to eat it would be a problem???


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## CharlieEcho (Nov 25, 2012)

*Plenty old enough;*



bountyhunter69 said:


> my pullets are 5-6 months old.are they old enuff for cracked corn?


At five or six months our hens were runnning with the rest of our chicks and picking through their feeds as they chose. Cracked corn?, sure.

I picked up some extra sunflower seed, black, just Monday since reading this thread. We feed birds sunflower seeds year around anyhow. I spread a little BOSS out with the regular scratch Tuesday. They haven't taken a liking to it yet. As it was still on the ground last night. They pick around the oats too.

I keep the feeder in the hen house filled with layer supplemented feed and cracked corn. The feeder in the barn with a mix of supplemented, cracked corn, oats and scratch feed. Each morning I five them a scratch mix thrown in the pasture. My wife is much more generous than I am with the morning feed.

We have a light on a timer in the hen house that wakes the birds up earlier than sunrise. The hen house is in the shadow of our barn too. They usually hit the supplemented feed in the hen house very early in the day. The feed in the barn lasts a while and only needs a little added once in a while. I expect this to change once we get the cold weather and maybe some snow. Not that I'm complaining.

If they don't take to the sunflower seeds, we can always feed the other birdies. I've recently taken an active fight to keep the Sparrows out of the barn that seems to be working. That's another story.


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## donkeykongbeard (Jan 6, 2013)

With my normal feeding routine I also buy a pecking block. It has extra vitamins and and calcium and some other suplimental stuff. They love it but they are not on it constantly. The one thing they all try and get is the black sunflower seeds.


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## Kokoschicks (Sep 13, 2012)

What's boss?? I've never heard of it. And should I be feeding it to my chickens?


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Kokoschicks said:


> What's boss?? I've never heard of it. And should I be feeding it to my chickens?


It is black oil sunflower seeds. I don't know if you 'should' be feeding it to your chickens but you can. I mix it in with my scratch for some extra fats and calories. It's been very cold here most of the winter so I give it to them twice a day. When our highs were -20 F I gave it to them 3 times.


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