If you’re looking after your backyard chickens, you might have wondered whether or not some treats are okay for them to have. Well, it’s a good thing that you’re asking yourself questions with regard to their dietary needs. You want your flock to be healthy and well! You may wonder can chickens eat potatoes? Yes, you may feed your feathered pets potatoes. Your chickens will love them. but you have to keep count of several aspects when it comes to this ingredient.
How Much Can Chickens Eat Potatoes?
We’ve established that your chickens are most likely to devour this vegetable without having any second thoughts. That’s no surprise, is it? Every chicken owner knows that they would eat pretty much anything you would feed them. They’re anything but picky animals! This is one of the perks of owning chickens – they will simply love having all kinds of table scraps that you would normally end up throwing away after having finished cooking. Offering them a wide range of additions to their regular diet is always welcomed, as long as it does not completely replace their main food. A couple of treats every day is the way to do this correctly – don’t replace their regular nutritive diet with table scraps.
When it comes to potatoes, you may feed them to your flock either raw or cooked. If you have some cooked potatoe leftovers, that’s a viable treat for your flock as well – as long as you make sure you don’t include any strong spices or an excess salt. Salty treats are harmful for your flock, it affects your chickens’ little kidneys. Feeding it raw is also fine, chickens will simply adore picking at the pieces. You may also consider creating a mixed treat for them with carrots, potatoes, perhaps lettuce and other vegetables. Your feathered pets will highly appreciate it!
Nonetheless, you should bear in mind to steer clear of green potato skins. They can turn out to be utterly toxic for your chickens’ health. The green potato skin incorporates the presence of solanine, a toxin genuinely detrimental for your chickens’ nervous system.
However, in order for your chickens to actually suffer from the detrimental effects of green potato skins, they would have to consume really large quantities of it. You shouldn’t worry if a couple of peels slip your selection. It won’t kill your chickens. Just pay more attention to it next time.
Consequently, the bottom line is that it is safe to spoil your chickens by offering them a few portions of potatoes from time to time. However, everything should be in moderation, in order to prevent your flock from becoming overweight and always get rid of the harmful green peels.
What Parts Of The Potatoes Can I Feed My Chickens?
You can feed your chickens the entire potato, excluding its peels, especially green potato skins. The reason why you should avoid feeding your flock the peels to the potatoes is because they contain solanine which is a poisonous substance for birds, including chickens. After having peeled off the skin, you may consider slicing or grating the vegetables before feeding them to your flock, so that every flock member may have a bite. A hungry chicken might not want to share the food with other chickens.
Nonetheless, always remember to keep the portions appreciatively moderate. This should be the basic principle when it comes to treats for any other pet for a change.
Can Chickens Eat Sweet Potatoes?
We cannot overlook sweet potatoes, they’re even more delicious than the regular potatoes. In comparison with other potatoes, sweet potatoes do not incorporate solanine in the peels, which we already established is toxic for your flock. It is perfectly safe to spoil your flock with sweet potatoes, peels included. Grated or sliced before feeding it to your chickens is perfectly safe.
Are Potatoes Beneficial?
Yes, potatoes are beneficial treats for your flock to enjoy. You should know that among potatoes’ best nutritional properties; they present an excellent natural source of potassium. Potassium is a highly significant mineral for the cells to function in the body, especially for maintaining the health of the nervous system. It also contains fiber and vitamin C.
After cooking some potatoes, save some (either raw or cooked) for your flock to devour. This helps you not to waste the food and your chickens will completely benefit from the beneficial properties of this vegetable. That’s pretty much all you need to know about feeding potatoes to your chickens.
References:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-treat-chart-the-best-treats-for-backyard-chickens
http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2013/06/5-healthy-treats-for-chickens-and-3.html
http://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2013/04/7-things-you-shouldnt-feed-your-chickens.html
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