feeding chickens potato peels - bad idea?

Gonda

Songster
Nov 14, 2009
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I've read that there are different opinions around feeding chickens potato peels. Anyone have any advice on that? We did it with our previous flock, not sure if we should do it with our new flock. It didn't seem to harm the others; not sure what the possible risk is. Anyone know?
 
I have fed potato peels also, Gonda. Nothing bad happened.

Green potatoes, and especially the skins and growing eyes, have solanine which is toxic.

Steve
 
I have always been told that COOKED peels are fine....raw are not. Apparently they have toxins in the peelings that can eventually have adverse efects on them. Now, wether or not this is true? I cannot tell you. I just know what I have been told for years...so I just save my peels and boil them up with the other other scraps.

Perhaps others here with much more knowlege than I can help in the truth of the matter
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I just gave my girls potato skins tonight, and now I see this post! It's not the first time they've had "skins" though, and nothing bad has ever happened, so maybe it's only big quantities that are toxic (if at all)?
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I know that it's a big debate here on BYC. I have not fed my chickens any potato peels - they just don't seem that appetizing anyway.

I do know that my grandma used to feed her chickens potato peels and she never bought eggs while I grew up.
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If you have fed them in the past with no apparent ill effect why would yoy now assume there might be a problem?
 
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I agree - I love my potatos with the peels on, but hubby doesn't like the peels on unless they are baked
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Now that I think about it, this is kind of like what people say you shouldn't give your horses. I had a horse that would eat black walnut, which is supposed to be deadly, and he is still with me, healthy as ever, 18 years later
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Like Digits said, it is the green sunburned potato skins that have the poison in them. Regular peels are fine. Humans should not eat the green ones either.

I don't know if the solanine builds up over time and has to reach a certain level to be harmful, if it is regularly flushed out of the system, or if it does a small amount of damage when it is ingested. Its possible some chickens are more sensative to it. I truly don't know the details of how much it takes to be harmful. And it is quite possible that it does some damage and weakens the system so when the bird is stressed by something else, it is more susceptible to sickness or death. Many of the poisons don't do immediate damage but have long term effects unless they are eaten in huge amounts. Most people would never realize that the earlier poisoning contributed to the ultimate problem.

I don't think its quite like black walnut and horses. Some horses are allergic to black walnuts. Some are not bothered at all. In my limited understanding, I believe all chickens are subject to poisoning by solanine.
 

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