Can Chickens Eat Potatoes? (Nutrition, Advantage, Feeding Tips)

Chickens eat different foods; as such, except the food is marked as unsafe for them, you never can tell if they’ll eat a variety of food until you give them. Chickens eat potatoes, but not all types are good for your chickens. Besides, not all parts of some types are safe for eating.

4 Things To Consider When  Giving Your Chickens Potatoes

Here are some things to consider when giving your chickens potatoes.

Can Chickens Eat Sweet Potatoes?

Sweet potatoes aren’t only superfoods for humans; you can give them to your chickens too. Besides, all parts of sweet potatoes are safe for your chickens to eat – peels, stems, leaves, flesh, flowers, etc.

Except if your chicken breed naturally finds sweet potatoes unappealing, they will jump at it when you give them. Some commercial feeds also contain sweet potatoes because of their benefits to your chickens. You can serve your chickens raw or cooked potatoes. Ensure you cut them up to make eating and swallowing easier.

White, yellow, and red potatoes

These potatoes belong to the nightshade family and contain solanine, a chemical whose effects are devastating when consumed in large quantities. The effects can range from respiratory illnesses to paralysis. As such,  you should be careful when giving your chickens white, yellow or red potatoes.

Even though boiling such potatoes reduces the amount of solanine in them, the chemical can build up in the body to cause more fatal issues. Besides, not all parts of these potatoes are safe for your chickens.

The peels, skins, and eyes usually have the highest deposits of toxins, so you should avoid giving your chickens those parts to eat. It’s advisable you stay away from white, red, and yellow potatoes, but if you must give your chickens, ensure they are fully ripe and well-cooked.

Chicken breed

While chickens are generally omnivores, they are picky as well. They might turn their noses at foods you expect them to eat. Before you make potatoes constant in their treats, check if your chickens like them and if they aren’t allergic. For instance, if you notice that your chickens become ill after eating potatoes, you shouldn’t continue with the treatment.

Quantity

If your chickens like potatoes, don’t be tempted to make it their daily food.  Potatoes are treats that shouldn’t be more than a tenth of their diet. Too many potatoes can lead to obesity, heart diseases, high blood pressure, increased blood sugar, etc. You shouldn’t give your chickens more than 3 servings of potatoes per week.

6 Reasons Why You Should Give Your Potatoes

Potatoes are enriched with lots of nutrients. They contain vitamins, potassium, iron, etc., which enhances your chickens’ health and performance. They’re also gluten-free. Below are some of the reasons you should give your chickens potatoes.

Metabolism

Potatoes contain vitamin B6, which helps to break down food into smaller bits that can be easily absorbed into the body. This way, it increases your chickens’ energy and productivity. In addition, the fiber in potatoes helps prevent constipation and aid digestion, thereby maintaining a healthy digestive system.

Immunity

The various nutrients in potatoes enhance your chickens’ immunity. Your chickens won’t frequently fall ill. For instance, quercetin is a flavonoid that protects your chickens from the damage caused by free radical cells and other diseases, while alpha-lipoic acid helps preserve body tissues. Potatoes also contain vitamin C, which helps fight against cold. 

100g Raw Potatoes Nutrition

Bone health

Another benefit of giving your chickens potatoes is the improvement of their bone structure. Potatoes contain minerals and vitamins that build up bones. Such minerals include zinc, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, etc. With these nutrients in potatoes, your chickens will get the bone structure and mineralization they need for proper performance.

Satiety

Besides preventing constipation and aiding food digestion, the fiber in potatoes helps satiate your chickens. Naturally, chickens love eating, and they do so as many times as possible. If you don’t give them foods that satisfy them quickly, you’ll have to spend more on food. However, with potatoes and other satisfying treats, you won’t have to spend much on feeding your chickens.

Inflammation

Potatoes are one of the treats that have anti-inflammatory properties. They contain nutrients that help reduce swelling and irritations on the body. They also enhance muscle movement, fat absorption, and the functions of cellular membranes and nerves.

Heart health

Chickens also suffer from heart issues such as heart attack, heart failure, etc. Potatoes are enriched with nutrients that enhance heart health. For instance, potassium and lack of cholesterol in potatoes help reduce the risk of heart diseases. Lack of cholesterol means that your chickens won’t become overweight as long as you give them potatoes in moderate quantities.

5 Tips For Choosing The Right Potatoes For Your Chickens

Either you plan to give your chickens raw or cooked potatoes, you must select the right ones. Serving the wrong variety of potatoes will kill your birds. Below are some tips for choosing the right potatoes.

Firmness

When buying potatoes, check how firm it is. Squeeze it to see if it’ll yield or not. If it does, such potatoes aren’t in good condition. Squishy or soft potatoes are starting to get bad, and you should only buy them if you want to serve them to your chickens immediately.

Cuts

Inspect all sides of the potatoes for cuts, blemishes, etc. Bacteria contaminate the potatoes through the cuts and blemishes most times, thereby leading to decay. You have to cut such parts away as they aren’t safe to eat. But if you want more value for your money, buy potatoes with no blemishes or cuts.

Sprouting or green potatoes

Look out for sprouts or green color on your potatoes. The green color on your potatoes means that it’s not safe for eating. Potatoes usually become green due to exposure to the sun. A chemical called solanine causes the green color.

Solanine not only makes potatoes bitter, but it also causes discomforts in the digestive system, respiratory issues, etc. Also, dig out the sprouts(eyes) from your potatoes before you eat them and cook such potatoes immediately.

Smoothness

Don’t buy wrinkled potatoes. Wrinkles on potatoes mean many things, from bacteria infestation to loss of moisture. Good potatoes should be smooth all around. If you must buy wrinkled potatoes, ensure you know the cause of the wrinkles. For example, potatoes with wrinkles caused by mishandling are safer to eat than potatoes whose wrinkles are caused by bad storage methods.

If you’re not using all the potatoes you buy at once, store your potatoes in a dark, cool place. Potatoes exposed to sunlight are no longer safe for your chickens. Sunlight causes solanine which leads to gastrointestinal problems in your chickens. You can keep your potatoes in places such as cabinets, kitchen drawers, etc. Don’t put raw potatoes in the fridge to prevent a change in flavor.

How To Cook Potatoes For Your Chickens

Chickens love sweet, mashed potatoes, so you can decide to cook the potatoes before you give them. Below is a guide on how to cook potatoes for your chickens. 

Wash the potatoes

If you’re using fresh potatoes, ensure you wash them very well. Potatoes grow underground; as such, little dirt sticks to them. But with proper cleaning, you can get rid of the dirt.

It’s advised you cook the potatoes with their skins on as they are healthier that way. If you don’t want to go through the stress of washing your potatoes, you can go for frozen or dehydrated potatoes instead. If you’re using frozen potatoes, allow them to thaw before you cook them.

Cut into small sizes

Cut the potatoes into small sizes before you boil them. This ensures that they get done quickly, thereby saving you time and gas. Also, it’ll be easier for your chickens to eat the potatoes if you don’t mash them up. Cubed potatoes are easier to mash too. 

Cook over medium heat

Put the potatoes in a pan large enough to contain them. Use cold water for cooking and ensuring the water covers the potatoes. The cold water helps the potatoes to cook evenly and quickly. Don’t add salt as chickens are susceptible to it.

Cook on medium heat to avoid your potatoes burning. Don’t cover the pan so that the potatoes won’t turn squishy. After 15 minutes, check to see if the potatoes are tender all through. Once they are, turn off the heat and drain the potatoes.

Mash the potatoes

You can serve your chickens the cooked, cubed potatoes or mash them up. You can use an electric beater or potato masher. Don’t add milk to your mashed potatoes because chickens are lactose-intolerant. Also, don’t overfeed your chickens with mashed potatoes. It can upset their digestive tract. 

Serve your chickens with portions they can finish at once. If you aren’t sure, you can give them the potatoes bit by bit until they finish eating it. This way, they won’t mess up their coop with potatoes. Also, cooked potatoes can’t last beyond a day. Only cook the portion your chickens can finish in a day.

Summary

Chickens can eat potatoes, but not all parts and types of potatoes are edible. For instance, every part of sweet potatoes is safe for consumption, while the eyes and skins of white, red, and yellow potatoes aren’t edible. As such, you have to be careful with the variety and amount of potatoes you give your chickens.