Yes, many animals can eat buckwheat safely. Using buckwheat for livestock is common on small farms and homesteads. Chickens, pigs, sheep, and cattle all enjoy the plants and seeds without problems.
I let my chickens into the buckwheat patch every summer when the plants start setting seed. They go crazy for it. The birds scratch around under the plants looking for dropped seeds. They also peck at the lower leaves. My egg yolks turn a deeper orange color after a few weeks of this free range buckwheat diet.
You get good nutrition for your animals eating buckwheat in moderate amounts. The seeds contain about 12% protein along with carbs and fiber. This makes it a nice boost to their regular feed. But you should not use buckwheat as the only food source. Your animals still need their normal diet with buckwheat as an extra treat.
Pigs love buckwheat too. You can turn pigs loose in a mature buckwheat field after harvest. They root around for fallen seeds and eat the plants down to the ground. This cleans up your field while giving your pigs a varied diet. The plants break down fast once pigs work through an area.
Buckwheat wildlife food attracts many game animals to your property. Deer browse the leaves and stems during summer. They return to eat the seeds once they form. Turkeys scratch through buckwheat patches like chickens do. Hunters plant buckwheat food plots to draw game before the season opens.
Bees are the animals that benefit most from buckwheat. The flowers produce rich dark nectar that bees turn into strong-flavored honey. Beekeepers plant buckwheat near their hives during summer gaps when other flowers fade. One acre of buckwheat can support several hives for the six to eight weeks it blooms.
You should know about one caution with buckwheat and animals. The plant can cause photosensitivity in light-skinned animals that eat large amounts. White or light-colored pigs, sheep, and cattle may get skin irritation after eating lots of green buckwheat in bright sun. Dark-skinned animals and chickens do not have this problem.
To use buckwheat for your animals, plant a patch near your coop or pasture. Let the plants grow until they flower and set seed. Then open the gate and let your animals in to forage. You can also harvest the seeds and mix them into regular feed at about 10 to 20% of the total ration.
I grow buckwheat every year now as part of my rotation just for the animal benefits. My chickens stay healthier with the varied diet. The bees get a midsummer boost. And the deer visiting the food plot give me something to watch during evening chores.
Read the full article: Buckwheat Cover Crop: Complete Growing Guide
