4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Barbara Thatcher]

Our chickens love rooting around in the compost bins which we keep in their outside run. We are about ready to harvest the early potatoes from our allotment and wonder if it would be safe to put the tops (haulms) on the compost heap as I know the leaves are poisonous. The question is - do the chickens know that? And will they refrain from nibbling the leaves? I would be grateful for any advice.

[surferdog]

Thanks for posting this - I'd be interested in the reply. I hadn't realised the haulms were poisonous. Mine have been digging up stray potato plants from the flower beds but haven't seen them eat any of them.

[cluckbok]

Well we are growing organic potatoes in sacks in the garden and they've had the odd peck here and there of the leaves, so we've covered them over with netting, they even try to peck through the netting they love em that much!. I didn't even think they could be posionous? Ours have been ok since. I too would be interested to know.

[Egluntyne]

Found this on 'tinterweb.

 

Solanine present in potato (Solanum tuberosum) - most of plant except tubers is poisonous. Tuber contains solanine too, but toxic dose is about 100 potatoes. Green potatoes (which turn green after exposure to sunlight) can cause fatal poisonings. Green and damaged potatoes are even more toxic.

 

The toxin in spuds is destroyed by cooking, so cooked potato is OK to give to the hens.

 

I'm not sure I'd risk exposing the hens to the haulm having read this, unless you find info that says otherwise.

[Barbara Thatcher]

I think we will leave the potato haulms to rot off a bit in a separate container and then put them on the compost heap but under a load of other stuff - shredded paper, grass cuttings etc. I might also mention it the vet, or perhaps even speak to someone at Bristol Zoo. My feeling is that the chickens will not be too interested after an initial nibble. We have to net the brassicas on the allotment because we are plagued with pigeons but they never touch the potato plants - so perhaps it is general bird common sense.

 

If I can get an answer to this, I promise to post it.

[Ange1]

I too didn't know that the potato leaves could harm hens!

 

We have 6 dustbins on the patio all full of potatos and they will be on the same patio as the cube. I can't find another spot for 6 dustbins, so I'd be interested in knowing the answer to this?!

 

Hopefully as someone says, after an initial nibble of the leaves, they'll loose interest?

 

Here's hoping!

 

I wouldn't be able to put the Omlet netting around them either with the bins sitting on the patio?!

[chocchick]

Mine have scratched round the vegetable patch and not eaten any potato leaves. Megan tried rhubarb leaves and was dragged away. They also have the odd privet leaf and survive, we had the run next to the hedge for maybe a year before reading it could be poisonous.

I would probably play safe if not too much trouble.

[frenchlayer]

We have potatoes too, and they don't touch them. Pigeons eat the caulis though, we have netted these.

 

When I dig the potatoes rather than putting the bits in their run, I cut them up and put them on the compost, the chooks sometimes attack these compost bins but as yet I havent seen them eat the leaves at all. Too busy looking for bugs. Other than that I put everything else compostable in their run first for them to poo on and shred. It works well.

[DW]

I keep my 3 large pots of potatoes hidden from the hens by putting the wheeliebins in front of them. However, last week, I must have not put one back properly and the girls 'discovered' them. Between them they managed to strip all the leaves of one 80cm stalk, before I noticed.

 

So much for hens knowing to avoid things that are bad for them

 

....Anyway as well as being a bit dim, they must have fairly strong constitutions as their culinary exploration did not seem to have any adverse effect.....thank goodness.

 

D.

[Barbara Thatcher]

Thanks to Nutmeg and Bramble on behalf of all of us for volunteering to check out the toxicity of potato plants to chickens - what brave girls.

 

I can now throw my potato haulms on the compost heap without fear