buckwheat as graze plants?

[Kmac15]

we have the chance to get buckwheat seeds that will reseed each year. I know the bees would love it but would my chickens and lambs benefit from having this planted?

[Darren]

The stands of buckwheat I've seen never provided enough forage to be of benefit. I'm putting in a couple of plots this year for the native bee population. It is a good soil builder.

[Bearfootfarm]

Buckwheat is a good forage crop, but if they eat it down it won't reseed.

If you can subdivide your pastures and rotate the animals you can manage it so some will have a chance to seed out.

It only takes 6-8 weeks from planting to seeding, and you can often get two or three crops from the initial seeding

It can sometimes cause problems:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photose...ity_in_animals

Type I PhotosensitivityType I

Photosensitivity occurs when the photodynamic compounds need not undergo metabolism to be activated and so may accumulate under the skin directly following ingestion.

Examples of plants producing Type I Photosensitivity include Buckwheat and St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum). Certain drugs such as phenothiazine or its derivatives may also lead to photosensitivity reactions, commonly in sheep. Phenothiazine is converted by the body into the photodynamic compound phenothiazine sulfoxide.