Can chickens eat chia plants?

[katie_3487]

I’ve heard chickens can eat chia seeds and chia sprouts but I’m wondering if they can eat chia plants?

 

[Tonyroo]

Yes they can, the flavor is different on mature plants. They may or may not eat it.

 

[Sally PB]

I tried to make chia sprouts a couple years ago. The seeds didn't sprout, and the resulting goo was gross. I didn't even try to give it to the chickens.

I'm wondering how the chia pets get around this? It would be nice to be able to sprout chia, as it is dead cheap to buy in bulk at Costco.

Any suggestions?

 

[FunClucks]

I tried to make chia sprouts a couple years ago. The seeds didn't sprout, and the resulting goo was gross. I didn't even try to give it to the chickens.

I'm wondering how the chia pets get around this? It would be nice to be able to sprout chia, as it is dead cheap to buy in bulk at Costco.

Any suggestions?

I've never had any trouble sprouting. As long as you have good seed (for human consumption is what I usually use), it should sprout fine. If your seeds don't sprout, yeah, then you can feed the soaked seed within the first day or so, or I don't know what you'd do with it.

Key is to keep it moist but not wet. Some folks use a mason jar with cheesecloth across the lid secured in place with a rubber band. Put 1/4 cup seeds in or less, fill with water, rinse three times, set upside down in drying rack so all the water drains out through the cheese cloth. Rinse three times in the evening, store inverted. Rinse every morning and evening and store inverted until sprouts are big enough to eat. make sure they get sun or they wont grow, but also don't let them get too hot. Watch for signs of mold - mold is bad and seed must be discarded.

If you have a large amount of seeds to sprout, I lay them in a large clear glass casserole dish, and then fill with water, pour the seeds/sprouts and water through a sieve three times to wash the seeds, then drain. Once they're drained, put them back in the casserole dish, cover with plastic wrap, and set in indirect sun. If the seeds/sprouts are still a bit damp, set the dish at an angle so most of the seeds/sprouts stay drained. Wash the sprouts morning and night three times. I did 5 casserole dishes of chia at one time, and it worked fine. The chickens weren't super excited to eat the sprouts, but they did it anyway. I sprouted them for about a week.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

I bought a broccoli seed mix to do here soon because the grass is frozen.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I’ve heard chickens can eat chia seeds and chia sprouts but I’m wondering if they can eat chia plants?

yep! I grew some around my coop this summer, hoping that they'd flower (they didn't...don't think my season is long enough) but they enjoyed the greens that I tossed in. I didn't mind it either for cooked greens.