# black oil sunflower seed and safflower seed



## welder (Aug 2, 2008)

I give my birds black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds mix in my feed blackoil seed is for making the feathers shiny and the safflower for protein I have one bird that has runny stools I think it might be stress or can the sunflower be giving her the runs kevin


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## jameswaller (Nov 4, 2008)

perhaps isolation,and lots of observation is warranted,.to figure out which way to go,..sincerely [email protected]


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## welder (Aug 2, 2008)

I have a male that has been picking on another male and this hen they are both white actually a yellow grizzle and a red grizzle well any way i think she is stressed out I have had her isolated before I think I will isolate her again I'm trying to breed her to my male but if this continue i will put in a kit so thanks kevin


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## [MN]eXist^_^ (Feb 13, 2009)

what color is it? the stool?


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Nice observation. I have observed the same. Sunflower seeds make those feather shiny either because of oil or something. I have also observed that too much oily seeds can make their stools runny. Feed less oily seeds then.


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## george simon (Feb 28, 2006)

welder said:


> I give my birds black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds mix in my feed blackoil seed is for making the feathers shiny and the safflower for protein I have one bird that has runny stools I think it might be stress or can the sunflower be giving her the runs kevin


*Well the first thing is both sunflower and safflower are oil/fat seeds. I would like to know how many birds do you have and do you fly these birds? What percent protein is the feed that you mix these two seeds into?Are you using a regular pigeon feed? Feeding pigeons is realy an art,because their requirements change thru out the year racing,molting, breeding, and during the winter when for the most part the birds are resting. *GEORGE


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## welder (Aug 2, 2008)

George over the winter here in Iowa I feed a chicken scratch. I have 3 pairs for breeding and no I do not fly these birds trying to make my own birmingham roller kit. Ifeed a nutrena scratch grain protein is 7.5% and fat is 3.0% these are min. and fiber is 3.5% I bought a 50# bag and bought 1 # of safflower and the sunflower was also 1# too mixed it all togethernone of my coops have wheat or milo and one has not called me back I called them at least 5 times and they never call me back so I am trying to get some wheat and milo kevin


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## Skyeking (Jan 17, 2003)

welder said:


> I give my birds black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds mix in my feed blackoil seed is for making the feathers shiny and the safflower for protein I have one bird that has runny stools I think it might be stress or can the sunflower be giving her the runs kevin


Absolutely!!!! Both seeds should be only two percent of the mix.


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## RodSD (Oct 24, 2008)

Add peas on that mix or better yet some chicken layer pellets (or pigeon pellets). I think chicken scratch with sunflower/safflower is not enough variety. 

This is what I feed on mine: chicken scratch (wheat, milo, corn) + chicken pellets(16%) + wild bird seeds(sunflower, milo, millet, corn) + peas. Have to maintain 12% protein on my fliers and 14-16% on my breeders.

Obviously the easiest is just to buy premix pigeon mix (and or pellets).


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## welder (Aug 2, 2008)

ya that is the plan found a place about 30 mi from my place and they got pigeon mix i'm getting the kind w/out corn and will add some other like peas and some wild bird feed am only using corn in the winter kevin


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## SmithFamilyLoft (Nov 22, 2004)

welder said:


> I give my birds black oil sunflower seeds and safflower seeds mix in my feed blackoil seed is for making the feathers shiny and the safflower for protein I have one bird that has runny stools I think it might be stress or can the sunflower be giving her the runs kevin


 Could be the high percentages of sunflower & safflower, although in the past when I expermented with the sunflower seeds, I got smaller, very dark dry stools. The problem with runny stools, is that it *could be *any number of things, and not just the seeds they are eating.


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