Feeding chickens potatoes?

[HobbyChickener]

I give mine potatoe peeling almost weekly. I have found though this time of year they like them better if I nuke them for about 2 minutes before I feed them.

 

[skatcatla]

Mine apparently won't eat potato. :-( I gave them some leftover frittata I had, and they loved it, but ate around all the potatoes.

 

[SunsetChickens]

Oh my. We've been feeding our girls raw potato peelings for weeks. They seem to eat them (some of them, anyway), and they seem fine. Of course, they also seem to have digestive systems of steel.

Maybe because we're not giving them any part of the potato that's green?

 

[skatcatla]

SunsetChickens, just wanted to tell you, your RIR Carmelita is just stunning. Much richer in color than my RIR!

 

[digitS']

If the concern regarding potatoes is the toxic substance solanine - you should know that cooking does not alter this toxin.

The peelings and sprouts have much higher concentrations of solanine than the starchy parts of the potato.

The "greening" of the potato occurs when it is been exposed to sunlight. This is also indicates that solanine may have begun to develop in the potato.

So, neither uncooked nor cooked green peelings and sprouts should be considered safe.

Steve

 

[hooligan]

My grandparent gave their flock of Dominques potato peelings all the time. They never had a problem but they had a large flock that free ranged everyday.
I wouldn't give them to mine bc I am too paranoid

 

[NYREDS]

It's the green part of the Potato plant that's a problem contain Oxalic Acid-if the skins are sunburned the turn green and become a problem.
However, they don't contain much Oxalic Acid and a bird would have to eat a LOT of green potato skins to be affected. I have also been told that cooking the potato skins makes them safe to eat anyway.

 

[digitS']

We do pay for the folks at the the land-grant universities to inform us on issues of food safety for both humans and livestock. Our land-grant universities, along with the USDA, are charged with providing information on agriculture, home economics, and related subjects thru the cooperative extension services. We may as well pay some attention to what they have to say.

Oxalic acid will break down during cooking. However, oxalic acid is NOT the toxin in potato peels. Potatoes and other plants in the Solanum family contain solanum-type glycoalkaloids. One of these alkaloids is solanine.

"These alkaloids are not destroyed by cooking or drying at high temperatures."

"Humans and all classes of livestock are susceptible to poisoning by solunum-type glycoalkaloids."

"Luckily, glycoalkaloids are poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, an appreciable amount of solanum-type glycoalkaloids is hydrolized in the gut of mammals to the less toxic aglycones, these metabolites are rapidly excreted in the urine and feces of mammals. Because exposure to these poisons is generally by ingestion, it takes a relatively large amount of them to cause death."

Steve

 

[skatcatla]

digitS' :

We do pay for the folks at the the land-grant universities to inform us on issues of food safety for both humans and livestock. Our land-grant universities, along with the USDA, are charged with providing information on agriculture, home economics, and related subjects thru the cooperative extension services. We may as well pay some attention to what they have to say.

Oxalic acid will break down during cooking. However, oxalic acid is NOT the toxin in potato peels. Potatoes and other plants in the Solanum family contain solanum-type glycoalkaloids. One of these alkaloids is solanine.

"These alkaloids are not destroyed by cooking or drying at high temperatures."

"Humans and all classes of livestock are susceptible to poisoning by solunum-type glycoalkaloids."

"Luckily, glycoalkaloids are poorly absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract of mammals, an appreciable amount of solanum-type glycoalkaloids is hydrolized in the gut of mammals to the less toxic aglycones, these metabolites are rapidly excreted in the urine and feces of mammals. Because exposure to these poisons is generally by ingestion, it takes a relatively large amount of them to cause death."

Steve

That's interesting thanks! However, birds aren't mammals and don't have guts...they have gizzards. Would the above still apply do you think?​

 

[digitS']

Very good

, Skatcatla, they are not mammals but they are livestock and, of course, animals.

livestock: animals kept or raised for use or pleasure; especially : farm animals kept for use and profit (Merriam Webster)

Purdue School of Veterinary Medicine
"nightshade family

"TOXICITY RATING: Moderate . . .

"ANIMALS AFFECTED: All animals, including pets, may be affected.

"NOTE: Other Solanum species contain the same poisonous principle . . . the common white potato (Solanum tuberosum). Sprouts and sunburned (green) or spoiled potato tubers should not be mixed in feed because they also contain solanine. . . ."