Old Garden Seeds?

[LaurieJane]

I was cleaning out the Garden Shed and found a box of old garden seeds . . . I must have purchased them and then my husband purchased more. It seems a waste to throw them away. I have a lot of seed corn from the 2022 gardening season; can I feed them to my chickens? What about other garden seeds? Are they safe to give to my flock?

Thanks!

 

[SilverBirds]

Most seeds should be safe to feed chickens. Avoid anything in the legume family and potatoes. You can do a quick search on anything else to answer if it is safe or not.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is that seed still in the original bag or packet so you can identify it? Some seeds are treated when you buy them. Corn, for example, often is treated with a fungicide so it can wait for the ground to warm up enough to come up. I think I'd contact the company that bagged the corn and ask them how it is treated and if it is safe to eat, either you or the chickens.

It's not the seed itself that is the problem, it is the possible chemical treatment of the seed that I'd be concerned about.