Can Chickens Eat Potatoes? Cooked Yes, Raw or Green No

Why raw and green potatoes are a problem

Potatoes are nightshades, the same plant family as tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. UC Davis poultry veterinarians list green areas of potatoes, along with leaves from potato and other nightshade plants, among things chickens should not be fed. Texas A&M names uncooked potatoes on its list of foods that are poisonous for chickens.

The green tinge that appears on potatoes stored in the light, the sprouts that grow from old tubers and the leafy plants are the parts to keep away from a flock. Raw peelings from the kitchen fall into the same group, because they often carry green patches and eyes.

Keep the garden patch and peel bucket separate

Free-range chickens will scratch through a potato bed, pull at the plants and peck at exposed tubers that have turned green in the sun. Fence the patch, or let the flock in only after harvest once the plants are cleared away.

Many owners keep one kitchen scrap bucket for the birds. Raw potato peel, green or sprouting potatoes and potato plants should go to the trash or compost the chickens cannot reach, not into that bucket.

How to serve cooked potatoes

Boil, bake or steam potatoes plainly, then let them cool completely. Cut away any green areas and eyes before cooking. Mash the potato or cut it into small cubes and offer it in a shallow dish.

Leftover potatoes from the dinner table usually come with butter, salt, gravy, cheese or onion. Texas A&M lists salty foods and onions among those that are poisonous for chickens, and UC Davis advises avoiding fatty foods. French fries, chips and potato salad are off the list for the same reasons.

Scattering a small handful across a chicken run gives the flock something to scratch for; their complete layer feed still belongs in a covered feeder.

How much potato can chickens eat?

UF/IFAS Extension and Texas A&M both advise keeping treats to less than 10% of a chicken's diet. Cooked potato is starchy and filling, so a spoonful per bird is enough, and it should not be a daily item.

The University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine goes further on starches, advising that starchy foods like bread and crackers be avoided altogether, so keep potatoes as an occasional extra. Offer them after the main feed, with a small dish of grit available, as UF/IFAS suggests.

Potatoes and chicks

Chicks need a protein-rich starter feed in their first weeks, according to UF/IFAS, and starchy cooked potato adds nothing they need. It also clumps in the brooder and spoils quickly in the warmth.

Skip potatoes for chicks entirely. If you want to offer young birds a first treat after a few weeks, finely chopped greens or a pinch of grated carrot is easier on them, with grit available as UC Davis suggests.

Signs of trouble and when to call a vet

If a chicken ate raw potato, green peel, sprouts or potato leaves, watch the whole flock closely over the next day. Note what was eaten and roughly how much, because that helps a vet judge the risk.

Texas A&M describes sick chickens as holding the head low, looking fluffed out, being lethargic, losing appetite or weight, or limping. If you see those signs, separate the bird with water and call a vet who treats poultry, or contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 or Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661. A fee may apply.

Better starchy treats

Cooked sweet potato, cooked squash and pumpkin offer a similar soft, filling texture with fewer of the concerns tied to potato plants. Leafy greens and garden vegetables remain the lightest everyday treats.

Avocado, dried or raw beans, chocolate, onions, salty or fatty leftovers, rhubarb, stone-fruit pits and the leaves of tomato, pepper, potato and eggplant stay out of the run.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace advice from a veterinarian who treats poultry.