Can chickens Eat Sweet Potatoes :- If you also follow chicken, then you too will search many Foods for your chickens, what will be good for your chicken? One of these is Sweet Potatoes, so this post is only going to be over Sweet Potatoes.
This will be a detail post, if you are thinking of making your chickens eat Sweet Potatoes, then you will read this post once. What will be the profit for your chickens from Sweet Potatoes, I am going to tell you about this in this post.
If this question is coming in your mind, whether it would be okay to feed Sweet Potatoes to your chicken? So it has a simple answer yes, you can feed Sweet Potatoes to your chickens Sweet Potatoes are safe for chickens which have good nutrients which can be good Foods for chickens but there are some things you should know about. You should therefore read this post in its entirety.
The Health Value of Sweet Potatoes in Chicken
So they told us that chickens eat Sweet Potatoes and this green vegetable is very important for the health of chickens, all of which helps a lot in the rapid development of chickens and their health is good.
Are Sweet Potatoes Healthy for Chickens?
Sweet Potatoes are a good healthy Foods for chickens which is essential for their diet. You can feed your chickens in a reasonable amount.
Vitamins and minerals are found in Sweet Potatoes which serves as a good diet for the growth of chickens.
Sweet Potatoes Nutritional Information
Sweet potato cultivars with dark orange flesh have more beta-carotene (converted to a higher vitamin A content once digested) than those with light-colored flesh, and their increased cultivation is being encouraged in Africa where vitamin A deficiency is a serious health problem. Sweet potato leaves are edible and can be prepared like spinach or turnip greens.
Sweet potato, cooked, baked in skin, without salt
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz) | |
Energy | 359 kJ (86 kcal) |
Carbohydrates | 20.1 g |
Starch | 12.7 g |
Sugars | 4.2 g |
Dietary fibre | 3 g |
Fat | 0.1 g |
Protein | 1.6 g |
Vitamins | Quantity | %DV† |
Vitamin A equiv. | 709 μg | 89% |
beta-Carotene | 8509 μg | 79% |
Thiamine (B1) | 0.078 mg | 7% |
Riboflavin (B2) | 0.061 mg | 5% |
Niacin (B3) | 0.557 mg | 4% |
Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.8 mg | 16% |
Vitamin B6 | 0.209 mg | 16% |
Folate (B9) | 11 μg | 3% |
Vitamin C | 2.4 mg | 3% |
Vitamin E | 0.26 mg | 2% |
Minerals | Quantity | %DV† |
Calcium | 30 mg | 3% |
Iron | 0.61 mg | 5% |
Magnesium | 25 mg | 7% |
Manganese | 0.258 mg | 12% |
Phosphorus | 47 mg | 7% |
Potassium | 337 mg | 7% |
Sodium | 55 | 4% |
Zinc | 0.3 mg | 3% |
Why You Should Feed Your Chickens Sweet Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes is rich in several vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial plant compounds.
Sweet potato may offer a variety of health benefits. Here are some of the ways in which they may benefit a person’s health:
Improving insulin sensitivity in diabetes
In one 2008 studyTrusted Source, researchers found that an extract of white skinned sweet potato improved insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes.
Earlier, in 2000, laboratory ratsTrusted Source consumed either white skinned sweet potato or an insulin sensitizer, called troglitazone, for 8 weeks. The levels of insulin resistance improved in those that consumed the sweet potato.
However, more studies in humans are necessary to confirm these benefits.
The fiber in sweet potatoes is also important. Studies have foundTrusted Source that people who consume more fiber appear to have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
A 124 gram (g)Trusted Source serving of mashed sweet potato, or around half a cup, will provide about 2.5 g of fiber.
The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for AmericansTrusted Source recommend that adults aged 19 years and above consume 22.4 g to 33.6 g of fiber each day, depending on their age and sex.
Maintaining healthful blood pressure levels
The American Heart Association (AHA) encourage people to avoid eating foods that contain high amounts of added salt, and to instead consume more potassium-rich foods to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.
A 124 g serving of mashed sweet potato provides 259 milligramsTrusted Source (mg) of potassium, or around 5% of the daily requirements for an adult. Current guidelines recommend that adults consume 4,700 mgTrusted Source of potassium per day.
Reducing the risk of cancer
Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta-carotene. This is a plant pigment that acts as a powerful antioxidant in the body. Beta-carotene is also a provitamin. The body converts it into the active form of vitamin A.
Antioxidants may help reduce the risk of various types of cancer, including prostate and lung cancer.
Antioxidants such as beta-carotene can help prevent cellular damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals. If levels of free radicals in the body get too high, cellular damage can occur, increasing the risk of some conditions.
Obtaining antioxidants from dietary sources may help prevent conditions such as cancer.
Improving digestion and regularity
The fiber content in sweet potatoes can help prevent constipation and promote regularity for a healthy digestive tract.
Also, multiple studiesTrusted Source have linked high dietary fiber intake with a reduced risk of colorectal cancers.
Protecting eye health
As mentioned above, sweet potatoes are a good source of provitamin A in the form of beta-carotene. After the age of 18, the Dietary Guidelines recommend an intake of 700 mg of vitamin A per day for women and 900 mg per day for men. Vitamin A is important for protecting eye health.
According to the Office of Dietary SupplementsTrusted Source (ODS), a baked sweet potato in its skin will provide around 1,403 mcg of vitamin A, or 561% of a person’s daily requirement.
Vitamin A also acts as an antioxidant. Together with other antioxidants, it can help protect the body from a variety of health conditions.
Boosting immunity
One 124 g servingTrusted Source of sweet potato provides 12.8 mg of vitamin C. Current guidelines recommend a daily intake of 75 mg of vitamin C for adult women and 90 mg for adult men.
A person who consumes little or no vitamin CTrusted Source can develop scurvy. Many of the symptoms of scurvy result from tissue problems due to impaired collagen production.
Vitamin C also supports the immune system and enhances iron absorption. A low vitamin C intake may increase a person’s risk of iron deficiency anemia.
Reducing inflammation
A rodent studyTrusted Source from 2017 suggests that an extract of purple sweet potato color may help reduce the risk of inflammation and obesity.
Sweet potatoes contain cholineTrusted Source, a nutrient that helps with muscle movement, learning, and memory. It also supports the nervous system.
A 2010 study found that taking high dose choline supplements helped manage inflammation in people with asthma. However, this does not necessarily mean that choline from sweet potatoes will have the same impact.
At least 90% of a chicken’s diet should come from a good commercial feed. You should make a feed available all day, then offer them leftovers like Sweet Potatoes as and when you have some.
Your chickens can benefit greatly from this, so feed your chickens a fair amount of Sweet Potatoes and other green vegetables.
Can Sweet Potatoes be feed to baby chicken too?
Vitamins and minerals are found in Sweet Potatoes such as Vitamin K, Vitamin C. Vitamin B6 Sweet Potatoes also contain a healthy dose of fiber, folate, and iron.
Your chickens can benefit greatly from this, so feed your chickens a fair amount of Sweet Potatoes.
How To Feed Sweet Potatoes To Chickens
Before offering your birds Sweet Potatoes, wash and scrub them with cold, clean water. Use a towel to gently dry them.
Be extra careful with overripe Sweet Potatoess as they can smush during this process.
Cut In Half
Perhaps the easiest and best way to offer this Food is cut it in half with a knife. Sometimes, you might even want to cut it into quarters.
From there, place the segments in with your birds and watch them gobble them up.
Cut Into Slices
Another option is to cut the Sweet Potatoes into even slices. You can do this both skin on/off.
It is generally best to cut the Sweet Potatoes lengthways.
You can either serve slices on their own, or even mix them in with other Foods, vegetables or scraps! This is a great way to provide variety and even get birds to eat Foods they would otherwise leave!
Save For Later
If you decide to prepare the Sweet Potatoes in advance, you will want to refrigerate them to keep them fresh before serving.
If you decide to do so, be sure to offer this Food to your birds within the next few days to ensure they do not begin to rot and decompose. You want to minimize the risk of bacteria developing and forming.
Remove Uneaten Sweet Potatoes
Not all chickens will enjoy Sweet Potatoes. Not all Sweet Potatoes will always be eaten.
Either way, make sure you remove any uneaten Sweet Potatoes (and other Foods) within a few hours of them being left. This is to prevent rats and other rodents from being attracted to your birds. It also helps to limit the buildup of bacteria in the coop.
