Potato tops

[timmyalex]

I have two 20 week old chickens that i am about to allow out of their run during the day as they have been cooped up (no pun intended) since we got them 4 weeks ago. However, i notice on another thread that apparently potato tops are poisonous to them. I also believe that chickens instinctively know if something is bad for them and leave it alone. What is the truth as I have my main crop of potato’s growing next to the run. My Broccoli, Brussels and Sweet Corn are netted off to deter the wood pigeons but I didn’t consider my spuds would be a problem. All answers gratefully received

[beckybee]

I've let my ex bats out for the first time this week. They have managed to sample most things in the garden, but havent eaten any potato leaves (despite liking the odd game of hide and seek between the foliage) I dont know if this is more luck than anything else. They've had a serious go at a lot of the other veg though so I assume they know what they like (sweetcorn!)

[HayleyB]

I'd be careful though, potatoes are part of the deadly nightshade family, alongside tomatoes, chillies and peppers, the greenery is very poisonous to all animals.

[timmyalex]

Thanks so far. I have surfed the interweb and according to the Yanks virtually everything including Clover and Buttercups which i have in abundance in the orchard is harmful. My previous batch of chickens roamed freely with no noticable ill effects so maybe they just learn to avoid plants that are harmful. Thanks again.

[CoraxAurata]

buttercups are bitter (don't ask) but apart from (if I rememeber rightly) having oestrogen in them I hadn't heard of a problem with clover, its nitrogen fixing like peas whish is partly why famers love it so much. Must go find out about this.......

::disappears into books::