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Canary grass and chickens??

18 years ago

Has anyone heard that chickens will not eat canary grass? I read over on another forum that they will not. If thats the case I think I'd like to try and plant some in my girls fenced in yard area, of where there is not one blade of grass left.

I know there are pet supply places that sell the seed for pet birds to eat, so am I to assume that if they do ingest the grass it will not hurt them? Anyone know about this?

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Comments (5)

Old_Hazza
18 years ago
Be careful about what you plant. I think they might well eat canary grass. The big problem is that hens cannot cope with more than about 3% fibre in their diet. They have evolved to eat live food, seeds and very low fibre greenstuff - and they survive, produce, re-produce and live for a very long time without any greenstuff. They are developed from a jungle fowl, warm, shady environment, lots of bugs that eat all the greenstuff that might appear, then they eat the bugs. However, they will also survive at very low temperatures provided they can go to roost dry at nights. Old McDonald.
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lucky_p
18 years ago
If there's not a blade of green in their yard, I can pretty well assure you that NOTHING you sow in there will grow, unless you remove the birds to another area long enough for the new seeding to become established. Then, it's a pretty sure bet that they'll either eat it or scratch it right out of existence.
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mountainman_bc
17 years ago
I see I'm a year too late.... but it is 'canary reed grass' which is different than the pet store grass. And they will eat it, it is just less palatable. Not completely unpalatable. Mine eat it.
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suenh
17 years ago
Canary reed grass is actually a hay crop for wet places. They will eat it. Just not as tasty as some of the others. Nothing survives a chicken pen.
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hengal
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the replies. I have started to let them free range again when I am home and on the weekends. They are no longer in their bare yard all day, which they really are happy about. (knock wood) we haven't had any trouble this year with hawks like we have in the past. :)
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