Has anyone ever fed sunflowers? Roland read someplace that sunflower stalks have more nutrition than corn does? I know we feed black oil sunflower seeds to horses to bulk them up but i was wondering about cattle. Could be an answer if corn prices go bonkers in the next little bit due to ethanol production. Sunflowers grow pretty easy so????
a question for the cattlemen
- Thread starter Judith
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IL Rancher
Well-known member
Sunflower prices will probably follow corn becasue acres will be diverted here and there.. Generally if one grain is high than all follow. Perfect example is soybeans.. Heard an analyst say something that, according to supply levels, that they are overvalued by 2 bucks a bushel but they have to be priced that high or no one will plant them and it will be corn, corn corn..
As far as cows eating them... I know someone baled the residue and feed it, I would imagine it would be a good feed. We have wild stuff grow around here and the cows munch them down when they get the chance.
As far as cows eating them... I know someone baled the residue and feed it, I would imagine it would be a good feed. We have wild stuff grow around here and the cows munch them down when they get the chance.
cowzilla
Well-known member
Sunflower stalks after harvest are like small trees, not something cows will eat. Some guys have tryed silage sunflowers (after hailed out ) but there too bitter and have to be blended with lots of good silage to make the cows eat it. However sunflower seed blended with grain or silage makes a good ration that the cows like 
IL Rancher
Well-known member
Really? I never thought the oens we had in the garden, small black oil seed ones, were really any more tree like than the cornstalks...Now, the grey stripe or whatever the eating ones are called have a much heavier stalk... They just aren't grown around here much except for food plots for doves...
IF nothing else you could shread the stalks into a bedding.
IF nothing else you could shread the stalks into a bedding.
Bullhauler
Well-known member
I used to grow sunflowers. One of the reasons for quitting them was that the cows wouldn't graze them. Corn or bean stubble makes the cows alot happier then sunflower stubble.
Shortgrass
Well-known member
I've tried sunflower based protien in my cake. I like soybean best, mostly because of the odor I think-but cattle didn't seem to eat it as well.
katrina
Well-known member
We run cows on sunflower stubble and they eat them, no big deal.