Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

I was wondering if I can feed quinoa seeds dry and raw to chickens, as it comes from the bulk store, or should I cook it first? Will soaking do? Are the saponins going to be a problem for the chickens?

As Baron would say, let them decide. Give them a bit raw and go from there?

I have only given them cooked quinoa mixed with cooked ground beef. I do this only in the winter to give them some extra protein and serve it warm to them. They go nuts for it. I don't know about giving it to them uncooked???

I give them our leftovers-cooked...since it absorbs moisture like rice i prefer feeding cooked vs raw....but my birds go crazy over it.

SandyM wrote:QR_BBPOST As Baron would say, let them decide. Give them a bit raw and go from there?

Just making sure it's OK raw, like beans are better cooked than raw, I don't know enough about Quinoa- except that I don't really like it. It always tastes soapy to me.

I tried hemp seeds once. I thought it was gross and even the chooks rejected it - princesses!

Personally I hate quinoa. It doesn't matter what you do to it I can't seem to take a likening for it. So I don't have any recommendations really. I just think if it has to be cooked I'm really not into it. I cook eggs for the chickens And on the really really really cold days they'll get some oatmeal, but more often then not they get their extra from me in its raw or natural form. They get oats with raisins, cranberries (halved), blueberries and corn with some turmeric on it, mixed in a bowl. Not cooked. They LOVE IT.

But I also don't feed any beans or stuff like that.

I honestly would only be concerned that it absorbs moisture so if eaten raw it could expand in the crop and if they eat lots it might impact like raw rice can...but quinoa is way smaller than rice.

If your quinoa tastes soapy rinse it before you cook it. It might help....it has a coating on it that some packers rinse off but others dont. It tastes soapy and nasty. I grew my own one year and didnt take the whole rinse it well thing to heart...i dont grow it any more-too labour intensive-but buy it now-prewashed lol

I winder if soaking it over night would allow it to absorb water. Quinoa is actually a fruit, not a grain like most people think, so it's molecular structure is easily altered when cooked. Perhaps cooking it alters its nutritional value?
I have a feeling JimW is going to jump in and correct my molecular structure theory.

WLLady wrote:QR_BBPOST I honestly would only be concerned that it absorbs moisture so if eaten raw it could expand in the crop and if they eat lots it might impact like raw rice can...but quinoa is way smaller than rice.

If your quinoa tastes soapy rinse it before you cook it. It might help....it has a coating on it that some packers rinse off but others dont. It tastes soapy and nasty. I grew my own one year and didnt take the whole rinse it well thing to heart...i dont grow it any more-too labour intensive-but buy it now-prewashed lol

Soaked it, changed the cooking water three times, still soapy! This was the red Quinoa from Bulk barn. I like amaranth better (except for the grit, I hate grit in my food- ) but it's not a complete protein source like Quinoa. I'm trying the different colours of seeds to see if there is any difference between the white and darker varieties. Sigh.