CND Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Hi! One of my hens has developed a (nasty) habit of dragging all sorts of rubbish into the nest box. This week she's managed to find some old potatoes (which she's dug up from somewhere) and she's dragged them back to the nest. The thing is whichever one of my 3 hens it is doesn't eat this stuff and it takes some effort given the size for her to get it there (although she's so far managed to do it without me spotting her) so I'm a bit bewildered as to why she's doing it. Any suggestions? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaisyAndBobby Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Ours take all sorts into their nest box. Twigs, bits of bark, pine cones. I think it must be a nesting type instinct. Not heard of potatoes though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Typical nesting behaviour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mullethunter Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 I can just picture her struggling to drag a very heavy potato along the ground! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Maybe get her a little shopping trolley to make her life easier Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvachicken Posted February 26, 2016 Share Posted February 26, 2016 Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves Sorry, my mistake, I must have mis-read about potatoes and forgotten about the green bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjp Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Raw potatoes are poisonous to chickens no there not unless they've gone green. raw potatoes are edible just not very palatable that said they do get eaten raw in parts of South America my lot eat the leaves and the tubers with no ill affect I don't feed them to the mob they help the selves Sorry, my mistake, I must have mis-read about potatoes and forgotten about the green bit it's a popular misconception the raw potatoes are poisonous if they were we cook them wouldn't make them safe the'd have to be treated the same way that red kidney beans are Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
