Great new forage plant from Africa

[hoodat]

I managed to get hold of some monkeytail cowpeas this Spring. It is widely grown in Africa but rather hard to come by in the US. It can be fed fresh, green pods and all, but it's main use in Africa is as hay for goats and cattle. It is right up there with alfalfa in protein and my rabbits loved it although they didn't get much since I had only about ten seeds to start with. They even enjoyed the dry pods after I harvested the seed.
The dry peas are also used as food for humans but the harvest is light and the peas are small. (but tasty) Its value is in the high quality hay you can make from it. Like clover hay you must guard against shattering by putting it up in something like burlap or mesh bags where it will get good air circulation and the shattered leaves will be retained for feeding.
It looked small and starved when it first came up but I think that was because it didn't have the right nitrogen producing bacteria. I had grown beans there before but apparently it needs a different bacteria. Once the bacteria built up it took off like wildfire and sprawled everywhere so you need sprawling room if you try to grow it. There are a few seed sources here in the US and you can find them with search but you will only get a few seeds due to its scarcity.
Next year I plan to grow a larger patch of it and put it up as hay.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

That sounds like a great plant to add to the rabbit forage garden!

 

[hoodat]

Just sent you a PM.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

PM received and responded to!

 

[Frecs]

Is it similar to the Cowpea, aka Blackeyed Pea popular here south of the Mason-Dixon?

 

[Marinea]

That sounds like a great addition!

Is it weird that my garden expansion plans are rabbit-centric as opposed to human? My hubby just shakes his head.

 

[dangerbunny]

is it invasive? if so please be careful.

 

[hoodat]

Is it similar to the Cowpea, aka Blackeyed Pea popular here south of the Mason-Dixon?

It's similar to several peas grown in the South such as pigeon peas, partridge peas and crowders. The difference comes in that it is grown for the forage rather than the peas so it has heavy foliage and a light pea crop.

 

[Miss M]

The difference comes in that it is grown for the forage rather than the peas so it has heavy foliage and a light pea crop.

Oooooooooooooooooh... very interesting! I wonder how much space you need to feed one rabbit on it. :thinking:

 

[hoodat]

is it invasive? if so please be careful.

It is an annual so it's no more invasive than beans or peas. You may get a few volunteers but not very many.<br /><br />__________ Thu Aug 08, 2013 3:17 pm __________<br /><br />

The difference comes in that it is grown for the forage rather than the peas so it has heavy foliage and a light pea crop.

Oooooooooooooooooh... very interesting! I wonder how much space you need to feed one rabbit on it. :thinking:

They sprawl all over one another so it's hard to say. I planted mine about a foot apart in rows 2 feet apart and they pretty well covered the ground with a thick mat about ten feet wide. Give them about the same care you would give bush beans.

 

[Frecs]

Were did you get the seeds?

I'm wondering... black-eyed peas used to be grown for livestock feed in the South until the War of Northern Aggression in which Southerners were left with little to eat other than livestock feed. So, I'm wondering if there is still forage properties to the "modern" blackeyed pea or if it has lost that in the years of being grown and selected for producing more beans than plant...???

 

[hoodat]

Were did you get the seeds?

I'm wondering... black-eyed peas used to be grown for livestock feed in the South until the War of Northern Aggression in which Southerners were left with little to eat other than livestock feed. So, I'm wondering if there is still forage properties to the "modern" blackeyed pea or if it has lost that in the years of being grown and selected for producing more beans than plant...???

I got my seeds from the UCD seed savers project. They are dedicated to preserving seeds that are in danger of disappearing. I believe Baker Creek is handling them now.
Regular beans contain a toxin that is destroyed by cooking but cowpeas do not contain it so can be fed in dry uncooked form. I haven't gotten enough seeds yet to try them as rabbit food and when I do I will introduce them slowly and in small amounts to my rabbits to be sure there are no bad effects. I've fed enough of the foliage to be sure it is both healthy and nutritious to rabbits. I'm confident the foliage of any cowpea is edible and nutritious but most commercial varieties are bred to produce dry peas without a lot of foliage. Monkeytails are high foliage and low bean producers. Closely related plants but with a different purpose.

 

[trinityoaks]

Oooh, sounds interesting!

 

[grumpy]

Here's a link. http://www.rareseeds.com/monkey-tail-cowpea/

Gonna check this out more towards next spring.
sounds interesting.

grumpy.