Can Chickens Eat Yams

People often worry whether yams are appropriate for the hens or if they will make them sick. If you’re wondering whether it is possible for chickens to consume yams, the answer’s yes. Hens love eating vegetables and will eagerly devour any leftover yams from your pantry or garden. 

When yam season arrives, people are eager to get their hands on some of these large orange delicacies and take them home to bake, roast, or fry. But your farm birds will also benefit from the simple sugars and other minerals found in this tasty root vegetable.

But how to feed them these tasty treats? Are there any parts of yam you shouldn’t feed your chickens? Read on to know all about the benefits and methods of providing cooked or raw yam to chicken and specific considerations when giving these tasty treats to your feathery friends.

Is Yam Good For Chicken?

Yams are rich in vitamins, carbohydrates, and minerals, essential for chicken health. Vitamin A is one of the elements found in yams due to their high beta-carotene content. It can help chickens to develop, reproduce, and maintain cell health. 

Vitamin D3 is another vital component contained in yams. Vitamin D3 metabolizes the calcium in their feed and is critical for hens with bone disorders or not developing typically. Strong eggshells are also a result of vitamin D3 in egg-laying birds.

Potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin C are some of the other nutrients present in yams that prove beneficial to hens. A diet rich in all these nutrients will help improve chickens’ well-being. 

Can You Feed Cooked Yam To Chickens?

The hens will find it much simpler to consume a cooked yam. Cooking yams releases a lot of simple sugars, which further enhances the taste. 

Chickens don’t have as many taste receptors as humans. Thus they don’t react to sugar as well. They consider food how simple it is to consume most of the time.

Cooking the yams also lengthens the time it takes to consume them. Chickens eat cooked yams slowly for a long time. 

When it comes to hens, choking is one thing to be concerned about. If they’re in a hurry to consume an uncooked yam, they could bite off large quantities and attempt to swallow it whole. Cooked yams are certainly more convenient to consume for them, but it all hinges on how much time you have to cook them.

Cooking the yams should not be a cause of stress. But if you’re short on time, you can give them raw yams. 

Is Uncooked Yam Safe For Chickens?

As long as the yam skin isn’t green, raw yam is perfectly safe for your chickens. However, some chickens may not be interested in consuming raw yams since they are more difficult to swallow than cooked yams.

If you’re giving your chickens uncooked yams, a food processor may help split them down and make them simpler to eat. Using a food processor for raw yams also eliminates the possibility of choking. Thus, your chickens will be safe in that aspect as well.

Can You Feed White, Red, And Yellow Potatoes To Chickens?

You should not use white, red, or yellow potatoes to substitute yams in your hens’ diet. Because all three types are nightshade plants, they naturally contain solanine, a poisonous and harmful substance that might be toxic to chickens.

Solanine is an extraordinarily toxic and natural pesticide. This may result in significant health problems for your chickens. Convulsions, respiratory distress, diarrhea, neurological impairment, and possibly paralysis are among the symptoms of this toxin. 

When consumed in high amounts, solanine may even be potentially harmful to your hens. However, boiling white potatoes dramatically reduces solanine levels. It doesn’t imply you should give your birds white, red, yellow, or other potatoes to eat. 

You should avoid giving these potatoes in all of their portions. However, chickens eat sweet potatoes. Stick to yams or feed raw sweet potatoes, which chickens can eat and are also safe and incredibly healthy. 

How To Feed Yams To Your Chicken?

It’s critical to carefully wash any root vegetables or fruits before giving them to your hens. Even organic vegetables and fruits contain chemicals that are hazardous to your hens’ health.

Yams that have been cooked, mashed, or roasted may be given to your hens after being washed. You may also offer uncooked yams to your birds.

However, if you have to go with your chicken’s preference, feed them with cooked yams. Moreover, boiling or mashing yams makes them more straightforward for hens to consume and digest.

You can also feed roasted yams to your birds. But make sure not to add seasoning to the roasted yams.

Yams, unlike white potatoes, are not poisonous to hens, and you may even give them uncooked. While cooked yams are more healthy, chickens eat raw yams as well if you’re in a hurry or your hens ask for more.

Conclusion

Yams are among the safest options for human consumption and also to feed your chickens. They are rich in nutrients that hens need. A high-quality feed and yams will offer your hens the essential micronutrients they need to maintain a well-balanced chicken feed.

The points given above will help you create diets consisting of this healthy treat for your chickens. Do not overfeed your chicken with this treat, and only use yams or sweet potato as a delicacy.