Can I feed Sunchoke or Yacon to my chickens?

[jeremy]

I'm growing both Sunchoke and Yacon this year (in large containers), I planted A LOT of Sunchoke and probably will have more than I could ever eat. Does anyone have any experience with feeding the tubers to their chickens? Both Sunchoke and Yacon are members of the same plant family as Suflowers, which aren't toxic to chickens, but they don't have tubers.

Thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yacón

 

[jeremy]

I can't possibly be the only person on BYC growing these root crops...

 

[CATandTIM]

I don't know. But what does a sunchoke taste like?

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[GardenWeasel]

I grew them ( not in containers) and am still trying to get rid of them. My chickens would have nothing to do with them, not raw not cooked, no way. They are delicious nutty tubers but unfortunately give most people a big bellyache so we do not eat them any more. They are hauntingly good tasting but not worth the evening on the toilet. So a no go for me, they produced very well and I was really disappointed the chickens wouldn't touch them. I have read that pigs will eat them.

 

[juststruttin]

I'm growing both Sunchoke and Yacon this year (in large containers), I planted A LOT of Sunchoke and probably will have more than I could ever eat. Does anyone have any experience with feeding the tubers to their chickens? Both Sunchoke and Yacon are members of the same plant family as Suflowers, which aren't toxic to chickens, but they don't have tubers.

Thoughts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_artichoke

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yacón

I have sun chokes coming out my ears. I too have contemplated feeding them to my chickens but have not. I hope someone knows the answer to your question.

Here is a photo of 1 or 2 Sun Chokes beds. I pulled five 5 gallon buckets worth of tubers out last year and still the beds are over crowded. Sun Chokes are amazing. I am glad I planted them in beds because I could see who they could become invasive.

 

[AgHome]

I have read that dried sunchoke can be found into feed for chickens I think the site was feedpedia

 

[EllieW]

I moved a sun choke bed and left a few damaged tubers behind. Some birds ate some of them but it was not my chickens I don't think. I am growing yacon.Just harvested and turned this year's harvest into chips while I try to find the answer to that question. I suspect there's a better chance if the tubers are sliced in half long way. I am far more excited about Dioscorea batatas for chickens, though it's likely to be a multi year project. They vine and grow lots of "air potatoes" that chickens love. Not to be confused with the air potato of Florida which are toxic. Another name for it is yam berry. It really is a yam, too, but cold hardy, and produces its own tubers that are yams. It's as chicken food though that it interests me.
Ellie