feeding chickens potato peels - bad idea?

[OrpingtonManor]

If the skin has green on it, it has a mild toxin in it. I've heard that it is harmless if cooked, but couldn't find a ready source for that.

The following is from an University of Illinois Extension website...

Q. What causes green skin on my potatoes?

A. The green areas on tubers develop where the potato was exposed to the sun. This condition occurs when the potatoes were not planted deeply enough or not covered with straw. The green portions taste bitter because they contain a moderately poisonous alkaloid. These green areas should be cut off and discarded. Exposure of potato tubers to fluorescent light or sunlight causes greening during storage.

http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/potato1.html​

 

[digitS']

"Cooking does not appear to destroy all the alkaloids in greened potatoes."

University of Illinois, Veterinary Medicine Library

 

[Mahonri]

Haven't had any of my birds die from the green potato peels. hmmm.....

 

[Gonda]

Quote:
I realize there is some inconsistency in my question, but the reason I asked if because I wonder about possible long term effects, as noted in one of the other responses. There may not be immediately obvious effects. I just wondered if anyone knew what the possible effects might be.

 

[Gonda]

Quote:
Thanks Ridgerunner, this is what I was wondering - whether there might be long term effects. I did feed it to the previous flock with no apparent effects, but thought I'd hold off this time with the new chickens, and thought I'd try to find out first if there is anyone who knows what the reason is that it might be better to avoid feeding chickens potato peels.

 

[kcravey]

Mine fight over potatoes! But we dont eat green ones either though... glad to get the info!

 

[Klorinth]

I asked my wife about this last year. She runs a lab and studies congenital birth conditions such as Autism. According to her the "poison" in the green parts and eyes of a potatoe can cause developmental abnormalities. This only occurs if the hen were to ingest enough. How much that is I don't know, nor did she. She did say that the studies used rates and mice. They were fed the "poison" directly so the levels would have been much higher then what any of us would be giving to our animals. You would need to feed them green skins on a daily basis most likely.

She basically said that it isn't good to feed the green parts but a small amount here and there would not be an issue. The "poison" would not hurt the adults, just the developing embryos.

 

[toletiquesbysam]

Mine get potato skins about once a week, they love them!!

Thanks Klorinth-good information there!!

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Raw potato starch is hard to digest which is why it is suggested not to feed large amounts of uncooked peelings. Smaller quantities don't seem to cause any harm. I've fed green potato peelings too and have never yet found them to be a problem. I wouldn't feed large amounts of them though.

.....Alan.

 

[spartacus_63]

I have searched several Extention Services here in the midwest and can find nothing bad about feeding potatoe peels to chickens. There are some ole farmer tales around here regarding feeding PPs to chickens during the winter to keep them laying...some do say to boil. I would guess that if PPs help chickens to keep laying it is do to carbs and vitamins vs any particular food. Mine get them regularly and I have seen no ill effects. They also were not all that interested in them when I first started feeding them. They have never left any behind though.