Is wheat seed for cover crop bad for chickens to eat?

[redriverblues]

I bought a big bag of wheat seed to use as a cover crop. Later I decided to scatter some of the wheat on a bare spot in the chicken run. If it they ate it, fine; if it germinated, all the better. But the chickens pounced on the wheat seeds and ate them all up. Since they seemed to like it, I gave a cup or so every now and then as a treat.

Then I heard that wheat seed for cover crop is treated with a fungicide! I've already given them most of the bag over the past couple of months.

How bad have I hurt my chickens?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Not a good idea. You can get wheat for feed from a feed store and use that for both seed and feed. Wheat - or any seed - intended for seed likely has fungicide on it.

 

[Folly's place]

The seed bag will be labeled with possible additives. Fungicides and/or fungus in old seed is not good eats. Mary

 

[Cindy in PA]

The wheat seed we buy for cover crops is just wheat seed. Like was said above, check the bag.