I've got better things to do here, people. (Lots and lots of things to do!) Especially since the good, sound potatoes we've got in storage will be more than the quantity we'll need for the whole year to come.
But fear thee not, they are not going to go to waste. Dear husband remembered reading something in an old book we have in our library on poultry raising. We found the book on a high shelf, pulled it down, and blew the dust off of it.
The book Is "The Right Way to Keep Hens, Ducks, Geese & Turkeys" by British author Robert H. Holmes, copyright 1958. In the book the author talks of feeding cooked potatoes to chickens . . . even saying that they can provide a hot mash (not too hot, I would hope, as we don't want any burnt beaks, for goodness sake) which the hens appreciate in winter. Apparently during World War II, feeding cooked potatoes to chickens was popular not only in England but in our country as well.
So to assure that I suffer no guilt pains because of "wasting" all those potatoes with worm holes, we are going to start cooking up a bunch of potatoes each day to serve to our poultry.I just hope they don't insist on having them mashed with milk and butter and seasonings. Maybe a sprig of fresh parsley for decoration?
12 comments:
Brilliant! Something so smart and simple. The chickens will love you even more. :)
Ok yes! That is an excellent idea! And one for sure that will come in handy next year when I have little beakers running around!
Good thinking! Ya know, the best advice usually comes from something or someone with a few more years than us!
Parsley not required :)
And you thought my birds were spoiled :)I may hand feed bugs, but no cooking for them. Well, not yet anyway.
Isn't it true that, as long as you have chickens, nothing goes to waste? They will thoroughly enjoy their new hot breakfasts. Are you prepared for the revolt after you've used up all your potatoes? I sometimes cook oatmeal for mine in the winter - but don't tell anyone.
Judy D - Thanks for commenting. Now I've found your blog! Perusing your blog makes me so, so eager to get back in my quilting room. (Love the rug you just finished. Soon as I get done with my outside chores, I'm gonna have to look at that in detail. So cool.)
It's going to be very interesting to see how the chickens react over the long run to their cooked potatoes. We may have to feed them in their house as I just know the geese will gobble them up. The geese gobble anything up.
Apple Pie Gal - Yepper, I think we all need to get back to the old, more natural ways of doing things. Newer, in a lot of cases, is NOT always better!
Jane - Wait until you see a picture of them all this winter in their little polar fleece vests and hats I made for them. JUST KIDDING! ;o)
Susan - I know! I think chickens will devour as much of anything you throw them as pigs will.
Oatmeal? With raisins and a little brown sugar??
I give my chickens raw oats in the evening - it makes it easy to get them in the pen for the night.
Yvette
It's a great idea, but too bad you have to cook them first. Just think how spoiled they will become!
Yvette - We throw our poultry "scratch" morning and night that contains oats, wheat, barley, millet, corn and sunflower seeds. They act like it's candy!
Jen - Yeah, too bad uncooked potatoes are not supposed to be good for them. As soon as it turns cold enough for hubby to keep a fire going in the wood stove in the garage, he'll just put a pan on top of the stove to cook over night. (How's that for having your hot breakfast ready every morning?)
Great idea! Yes, that's a whole lot of work if you don't need to - I know you have better things to do LOL! Take some pics of your poultry eating the potatoes!
Erin - I will try to remember to take some pics. As the weather turns colder, can't you just see the chickens standing in the warm potatoes in the morning saying, "Oh, my heavens, doesn't this just feel so good on your little toesies?"
Thank you for posting this! So nice to know what to do with things like damaged potatoes. And for chickens, wormy bits wouldn't even have to be cut out. What chicken wouldn't want a tidbit of worm in her mash?
Leigh - It also crossed my mind that cooking the potatoes (worms and all) would be a way of insuring the worms didn't have a chance to return to the soil . . . if there still are any left in the potatoes!
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