Black Oil Sunflower Seeds Vs Corn | Chickens

Today on my Instagram stories I talked about feeding my flock BOSS (black oil sunflower seeds) instead of offering them corn as a means for extra caloric intake. I’m going to walk you through exactly why it is I do this and perhaps it can ignite within you a need to break free from in the box, a new path, a rebel streak or food for thought as they say.

W H Y I D O N ‘ T F E E D C O R N (or soy, or vegetable oils)

When folks first start getting into raising animals, it is quite normal for us to head down to the feed store and load up on bags and backs of feed. This is the way for us who didn’t come from an animal rearing background primarily because this is what we have seen others do. It isn’t until we put aside rules and thoughts locked in boxes that we begin to see our animals as exactly that. Animals. Individual to each other and each in need of a very different and specific nutrient table. I began to look at what was in those bags of food. Corn, soy meal, vegetable and seed oils (which go rancid in our own body temperatures + animals have at minimum a base body temperature of 101) and other ingredients that I wouldn’t put into my own body. I began to dive into research, books and theologies about what they would thrive on if left without human intervention (or if they could survive without human intervention) and if I couldn’t find the information on that particular animal, then I would move to one that was closely related.

Here is the nitty - Ingredients like corn, soy, seed and vegetable oils trigger an inflammatory response in the body of the animal since most of it is not natural to their diet (corn is debatable amongst some animals and in moderation). The inflammation is triggered by the PUFAS (polyunsaturated fats) which in turn we consume through their eggs or their meat. When we consume things with a high amount of PUFAS we ourselves end up triggering inflammation responses in our bodies and end up with a host of symptoms and digestive issues - not to mention that there are now significant studies pointing to PUFAS as a main cause of skin cancer. The rancid oils secret through our pours and negativly interact with the UV rays of the sun. [study] When doing my own research into this, I noticed it was mainly “fact checkers” and other government websites who combated this information. Food for thought.

Now before you ask why I avoid seed oils in their feed but are feeding them sunflower SEEDS, this is because the seeds are a whole food and not broken down through a process that destroys and altars it. Chickens, like other birds, naturally find seeds at their disposal to consume as a part of their complete diet. Grass seed and other plant life is regularly taken in while out at pasture.

W H Y B O S S O V E R C O R N

Sunflower seeds are nutritionally superior to corn in many ways. Even if you were to grow a different variety of corn that was more nutritionally dense compared to what is being sold by the bag, black oil seeds still are unmatched.

BOSS’s have thinner hulls as compared to non oil seeds, thus making it easier to digest for not only your flock, but for goats and horses as well. Compared to striped sunflower seeds, black oil seeds are meatier and have a higher oil content, giving birds more nutrition and calories as well as proteins and fats.

BOSS contains roughly 17.7% protein, 44% fat and 24% fiber

OR

28% fat, 25% fiber, 15% protein and other essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin E, B, Potassium and others. I’ve noticed this vary by brand for some reason. Another reason that I love feeding BOSS is the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. Most inflammation cause in our own bodies is due to the imbalance of these two fatty acids. Now I will say that the omega sixes are higher than the threes within the sunflower seed, but you can balance this out by feeding a ration of either 2 cups of flaxseed or 1 cup of Chia seed. Ideally, you would like a 4 to 1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3.

Corn (by the bag) contains 8.8% protein and 9.7% fat. Some have as low as 1.5% fat.

This is going to be something to pay attention to, especially if you are noticing that your having difficulty keeping smell down in your coops and runs + your birds are molting more than once + molting is taking longer than it should.

High bio available protein helps your birds regrow beautiful, healthy and strong feathers in a shorter amount of time. Their body must pump out more protein to their feather growth and they’ll still need leftovers to maintain health within. For example, many chicken owners complain that their flock stops laying in the winter time, which also coincides with long molting times. The body must use protein for both feather growth and egg laying, so if they are not consuming enough calories + bio available protein, the body will choose to send the nutrients to the feathers as they are essential for survival. Corn or scratch grains will simply not do the job at balancing their bodies and keeping your flock thriving as they should. My flock only slows slightly during winter and I do not supplement with artificial light.

Yes, it is more expensive to supplement this way but just as with our own bodies, we put an investment into it. Investing in the health of the animals that you raise will benefit you in the long run by keeping vet bills or medical needs down + having peace of mind that the animal you are either consuming or consuming biproducts from has immaculate health and there for passes that health to you and your family.

If cost worries you, there are more sustainable ways to generate protein, such as soldier fly farms or wormeries. That however will be for a later upcoming article.

For now, I hope this helped you in your quest for supplying your animals with the best life and the best food.