Is Rye toxic to chickens?

[crazyoldchickenlady]

Does anyone know for SURE that it’s safe for chickens to eat Rye? In the Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens, Gail Damerow says that rye, wheat, &barley seeded in the fall may be grazed on…Yet in the Chicken Health Handbook she seems to contradict herself by saying that “toxic seeds are sometimes accidentally harvested…including rye seeds, causing poor growth, pasting, soft bones and lameness.”
I’ve been given small amounts of rye to my girls over the last 6 months with no apparent symptoms, but the symptoms listed are not so acute as to be noticed immediately.

 

[kesali]

I don't know about rye seeds, but I toss old rye bread to my chickens. They devour it (like everything else) and I have never seen any problems.

 

[glucke]

http://www.ca.uky.edu/smallflocks/feed_ingredients/grains.html#Rye
hope that helps!