Help! Can last years garden hurt my chickens?

[chaddican]

Hi, I have 16 chickens that I'm spoiling because they were mistreated at their last home. I like to let them out in the garden so they can "stretch their wings" and get out of their 10x20 run. I have raised beds throughout that last year held tomatoes, potatoes and mint. The chickens cannot get in the tires that had tomatoes; the mint is long gone, now in my home in a pot but I give them some every so often as it grows because they love it. The problem is most of the garden had potatoes. Can the roots/rotten potatoes left in the ground harm the chickens if they eat them? I've read about the "green skins" but what about potatoes that used to have green skins but have been underground, covered with snow, and frozen this winter; potatoes that are now all mushy under the dirt; will those harm the chickens? I've been letting them out because I pulled out all that I could find before I let them start foraging. Yesterday though I found a rotten fingerling potato in the garden and that got me worried. Thankfully I haven't lost any chickens recently but can any of it be causing organ failure? Help, I need my mind relieved or know that I need to keep the chickens locked up from now on. I'm also worried because I've seen black poop several times this week. Now they may be eating some of the "charcoal/ash" I spread but if it's organ failure I need to know. I've googled and googled but haven't found anything that answers these questions. HELP and Thanks again!

 

[Mtnboomer]

The potato is a member of the nightshade famile and the leaves, stems, and flowers should not be eaten. The green skin comes from exposure to daylight from improper "hilling" of the rows. Solonine the toxin stays near the green skin and around eyes of the potatoes but the rest of the potato remains edible. I cut these areas off and eat them unless the potato has a lot of green or are smaller with large eyes.
If your potatoes were hilled often during the growing season then it is unlikely that they developed green skins.
My guess is that they will not find them appetizing. I give my birds raw potato skins resulting from dinner preparation and table scrap potatoes but they don't care for them and typically leave them on the ground. I also let my gals in the garden immediately after my last garden harvest, but my tomatoes are grown along the exterior of the garden fence where they can easily reach through and grab the greens and flowers. I also toss rotten tomatoes from the vines into the yard for them to eat the seeds without issue.

That being said I guess it could be a gamble IF they scratched one up and IF they decided to eat it IF they ate a toxic part and IF they ate enough to cause damage.

 

[DiYMama540]

Very healthy looking flock! Do you have any idea how old they are?
I've seen my girls have really dark poos this time of year because they are eating a lot of dirt and dead things. That doesn't sound too troubling.

As for the potatoes, I guess it could make them a bit sick, but unless they are gorging themselves on only potatoes, I wouldn't think it could cause organ failure. My flock usually does pretty good at avoiding the things that are bad for them as long as there are plenty of other options. To give you some peace of mind though, pick up any of the rotting potatoes you see and throw them away.

 

[CluckNDoodle]

If they eat charcoal is can definitely make their poo black. I wouldn't worry about the chickens rummaging around in an old potato patch. Chickens are pretty savvy about what not to eat. They may taste something but won't continue eating it.

 

[Mtnboomer]

Check this out:
https://www.h2ouse.org/can-chickens-eat-raw-potatoes/

 

[chaddican]

Very healthy looking flock! Do you have any idea how old they are?
I've seen my girls have really dark poos this time of year because they are eating a lot of dirt and dead things. That doesn't sound too troubling.

As for the potatoes, I guess it could make them a bit sick, but unless they are gorging themselves on only potatoes, I wouldn't think it could cause organ failure. My flock usually does pretty good at avoiding the things that are bad for them as long as there are plenty of other options. To give you some peace of mind though, pick up any of the rotting potatoes you see and throw them away.

Thank you so much. According to the owner before the owner who mistreated them they are about five years old. Poor chickens have had six different owners!

 

[chaddican]

The potato is a member of the nightshade famile and the leaves, stems, and flowers should not be eaten. The green skin comes from exposure to daylight from improper "hilling" of the rows. Solonine the toxin stays near the green skin and around eyes of the potatoes but the rest of the potato remains edible. I cut these areas off and eat them unless the potato has a lot of green or are smaller with large eyes.
If your potatoes were hilled often during the growing season then it is unlikely that they developed green skins.
My guess is that they will not find them appetizing. I give my birds raw potato skins resulting from dinner preparation and table scrap potatoes but they don't care for them and typically leave them on the ground. I also let my gals in the garden immediately after my last garden harvest, but my tomatoes are grown along the exterior of the garden fence where they can easily reach through and grab the greens and flowers. I also toss rotten tomatoes from the vines into the yard for them to eat the seeds without issue.

That being said I guess it could be a gamble IF they scratched one up and IF they decided to eat it IF they ate a toxic part and IF they ate enough to cause damage.

Okay, I'm going to let them start having fun all day again! I've been limiting their exposure until I found out. Thank you for replying!

 

[chaddican]

If they eat charcoal is can definitely make their poo black. I wouldn't worry about the chickens rummaging around in an old potato patch. Chickens are pretty savvy about what not to eat. They may taste something but won't continue eating it.

Thank you so much, they will be very happy to hear that!

 

[chaddican]

Check this out:
https://www.h2ouse.org/can-chickens-eat-raw-potatoes/

Thank you. Yes I've looked through all of the do's and don'ts and friends think I go a little overboard with protecting them food wise; they feed theirs all leftovers etc. But, they've already had a rough 8 months before I got them from the friend who was starving them yet said she was a "chicken expert" so I don't want to do anything that may harm them; I'm still learning. I tried but couldn't find anything when I searched about "last year's potatoes". I knew if I posted people would be kind enough to let me know.

 

[Mrs. K]

Organ failure, and you would have dead birds.

A rule of thumb, if birds are active, bright eyed, eating and laying, have good shiny feathers then they are in pretty good health. Molt a non preventable annual event, will cause the feathers to look terrible, and egg production to stop, but if they are active, and eating well, they are doing fine.

Mrs K