hoodat
Well-known member
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.
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.