Amaranth

[TJAnonymous]

Has anyone ever grown this and fed it to your layers? From what I've been reading, it should be heat treated first? Just wondering if/how you did that?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Has anyone ever grown this and fed it to your layers? From what I've been reading, it should be heat treated first? Just wondering if/how you did that?

You are looking for this -

Why Heat Treat Amaranth?
See also

Issues are tannins, of course, and saponins, primarily. You also want to read this - its old, and VERY small scale, but points to a potential low thiamine issue in Amaranth, important to know (critical if you also have waterfowl like ducks). It also discusses how they heat treated - 115C for 15 minutes (240F in an autoclave). Another. Heat treatment is helpful with the saponins, but not the tannins - they are much more heat stable. Additionally, there are trypsin inhibitors, but these are also heat sensative at similar times and temperatures.

Commercially produced, the expeller process generates enough heat to partially neutralize the anti-nutritive properties, similar to the way legumes like soy, alfalfa, peas, etc need to be heat treated, and for similar reasons.

Assuming you don't have a commercial autoclave handy, it seems like baking in a low oven on a shallow pan (preferably stainless steel - say 275 to 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes (jostle frequently so it doesn't burn) should be effective. If that results in burned amaranth (it might, I've not tried it), use your pressure cooker.

 

[TJAnonymous]

You are looking for this -

Why Heat Treat Amaranth?
See also

Issues are tannins, of course, and saponins, primarily. You also want to read this - its old, and VERY small scale, but points to a potential low thiamine issue in Amaranth, important to know (critical if you also have waterfowl like ducks). It also discusses how they heat treated - 115C for 15 minutes (240F in an autoclave). Another. Heat treatment is helpful with the saponins, but not the tannins - they are much more heat stable. Additionally, there are trypsin inhibitors, but these are also heat sensative at similar times and temperatures.

Commercially produced, the expeller process generates enough heat to partially neutralize the anti-nutritive properties, similar to the way legumes like soy, alfalfa, peas, etc need to be heat treated, and for similar reasons.

Assuming you don't have a commercial autoclave handy, it seems like baking in a low oven on a shallow pan (preferably stainless steel - say 275 to 300 degrees for 10-15 minutes (jostle frequently so it doesn't burn) should be effective. If that results in burned amaranth (it might, I've not tried it), use your pressure cooker.

Thanks! No autoclave here... The tools at my disposal are a standard kitchen oven, pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or a dehydrator. I wouldn't be feeding the amaranth at 30% like the experiments but I do want to include some in their diet, if possible. I just switched over to fermented feed this week. The chickens are eating it but they still prefer their pellets over the fermented feed. I thought maybe I could scatter some amaranth seed around their chicken yard as a treat. Originally I was going to just let them pick at the plants themselves, but that won't work if they should be heat-treated....although it DOES get kind of hot down here in the Deep South.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Thanks! No autoclave here... The tools at my disposal are a standard kitchen oven, pressure cooker, Instant Pot, or a dehydrator. I wouldn't be feeding the amaranth at 30% like the experiments but I do want to include some in their diet, if possible. I just switched over to fermented feed this week. The chickens are eating it but they still prefer their pellets over the fermented feed. I thought maybe I could scatter some amaranth seed around their chicken yard as a treat. Originally I was going to just let them pick at the plants themselves, but that won't work if they should be heat-treated....although it DOES get kind of hot down here in the Deep South.

Honestly, I planted some amaranth myself for my birds to free feed on, hoping it grows this year. There are enzymes that help them digest amaranth, and that counter some of the anti-nutritive properties.

Sprouting helps, and of course they will be green on your property. Soaking helps. Fermenting helps. Other plants can help (buckwheat or sorghum, I'd have to look again to see which it is, I have both planted - updated for 2022 begin around p12 *i think*) can provide some of the needed enzymes.

As long as you are using it as a free feed suppliment, rather than a significant portion of a home brew feed, it gets my recommend (for whatever that's worth).

 

[Beamerz]

Hi,
I'm interested in this thread as I've started some Amaranth and am finding it intriguing . It's pretty, germinated well, will look great in my garden and we can eat it too.. as well as the birds I'm hoping. Not planning to use it as a high percentage, just thought it could supplement and frankly I'm concerned about procuring all the grain I might need in some form of the future if you hear me. So aside from trying very hard to beef up my compost pile.. no ( not with meat but lots more chicken poop which mixes so well with industrial hemp). What kind of enzymes are we talking that would make the Amaranth "better" for
the birds? I"m all ears.. and thanks for any input.
edit: After posting this I continued to research elsewhere and found this : https://afs.ca.uky.edu/poultry/using-amaranth-poultry-diet but I'd still welcome any input from anyone who has experience with this.. for laying hens.. this article talks moreso about meat birds.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Hi,
I'm interested in this thread as I've started some Amaranth and am finding it intriguing . It's pretty, germinated well, will look great in my garden and we can eat it too.. as well as the birds I'm hoping. Not planning to use it as a high percentage, just thought it could supplement and frankly I'm concerned about procuring all the grain I might need in some form of the future if you hear me. So aside from trying very hard to beef up my compost pile.. no ( not with meat but lots more chicken poop which mixes so well with industrial hemp). What kind of enzymes are we talking that would make the Amaranth "better" for the birds? I"m all ears.. and thanks for any input.

From the link I posted previously,

"Amaranth leaf meal can only be included in broiler diets up to 5% unless the diets are supplement with an enzyme cocktail that provides cellulase, glucanase and xylanase activity (Example: Roxazyme G2)."

 

[Beamerz]

From the link I posted previously,

"Amaranth leaf meal can only be included in broiler diets up to 5% unless the diets are supplement with an enzyme cocktail that provides cellulase, glucanase and xylanase activity (Example: Roxazyme G2)."

U_Stormcrow... thank you for your reply.. I think I just found that article and was editing my question to reflect that while you were answering me. So much to absorb.. Thanks for your input.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

U_Stormcrow... thank you for your reply.. I think I just found that article and was editing my question to reflect that while you were answering me. So much to absorb.. Thanks for your input.

Sorry, been putting up forms for a concrete pour, I'm exhausted. and while I'm starting to feel like a reasonably well read consumer on the subject of feeding chickens, I'm nowhere close to being an expert. I've got to look things up like everyone else - my only advantage is that I usually know where I left the answer lying around.
Have a great weekend. (and I'd have to dig to find which enzymes are needed for amaranth grains - but rather than using enzymes adjustments, heat treatment is typically used to address the anti-nutritive properties, just as is done with soy and other legumes and pulses.)