Practically all foods contain poison of some kind, potatoes included. Some people make money on blogs, magazine articles, talk shows, or newsletters talking about them. They may even sell supplements, books, or T-shirts. There is normally a basis for what they are talking about, but often a very thin basis. Some of those are ridiculous. Dosage is very important. Another thing is that a normal healthy adult might have no problems while someone with an allergy or specific health related problem could become quite sick long before a normal healthy person would. It can be confusing and complicated.
White potatoes contain a substance, solanine, that can harm people or chickens if they eat enough of it. For a normal healthy adult human to eat enough to harm themselves they would have to eat about 50 pounds or more of baked potatoes at one sitting. The liver is pretty good at removing that specific toxin so it would pretty much have to be at one sitting. Chickens do not weigh as a human so they would have to eat a lot less for it to cause harm but their crops are just not that big. They cannot physically eat enough to harm themselves.
There is an exception here, white potatoes that have turned green. The green color is caused by exposure to sunlight. The green is actually photosynthesis and not related to solanine, but it is a warning. Exposure to sunlight causes a concentration of solanine to build up in the potato. Humans and chickens should not eat green potatoes but regular white potatoes are fine. But if you are uncomfortable feeding them white potatoes, don’t. If you are uncomfortable eating white potatoes because they contain a minute trace of something that can be harmful, don’t.
Another example of a really good food being potentially dangerous is cabbage. Cabbage and related vegetables contain a substance that can affect the thyroid. The liver is not real good about removing that toxin from the body so it can accumulate. But for a normal healthy human to have a problem with cabbage, they would have to eat a few pounds every day for two or three weeks. You would probably have serious bowel movement problems before you could eat that much. I consider cabbage a great food for me and for the chickens, just don’t overdo it. And if you have a thyroid problem, consult with your doctor before eating cabbage or other dietary restrictions.
There are some things out there that can harm the chickens, or you also. There are not many but there are some. Potato or tomato leaves are an example. Solanine is concentrated in the leaves. They taste so bitter that chickens normally won’t eat enough to harm themselves but it is possible that a random chicken may miss that instinct and just gobble them down. In free ranging chickens it is not likely to be a problem because they have so many other choices, but in a run with no other greens, they are more likely to eat them. As I said, it can get confusing and complicated.
In general, don’t overdo it. Feed in moderation. Many treats provide good nutrition but no treat should be a major part of their diet. And don’t feed copious amounts of any one treat day after day after day. Spread it out. Vary it.
Chicks I can’t explain what happened to your friend’s chickens. I suspect there was some other underlying cause not specifically related to the white potatoes, but I don’t know that. Even if I were looking at them I probably would not know.
Do as you will. They are yours to do with as you wish. If you are uncomfortable feeding them anything, don’t do it. I will mention mine prefer the cooked potatoes left over from supper over raw potatoes, but they sometimes will eat raw ones.
