Does anyone feed raw potato peelings?

[GBov]

My mum and I were talking as I was peeling the potatoes for dinner and she told me that when she was a kid the rabbits were fed all the kitchen peelings, including potatoes, raw.

Do any of you feed raw spud peels?

It seems a shame to waste them now that we have put the pigs in the freezer.

 

[Mary Ann's Rabbitry]

I dont think so. If there is any eye on them that are sprouting a little. I think it is poison.

 

[Iggysbabysitter]

My Hilda died right after indulging in too much potato peel. It is a poison unless cooked, unless I supose if you were feeding one potato peel amoungst several rabbits with a bunch of other (better) foods. I would cook it first. Losing Hilda sucked.

 

[akane]

Cooking doesn't destroy the toxin in potatos. The amount varies greatly so you might feed it fine for several years and then have one die. The peelings are the worst and especially green and older potatos. Nothing gets potato here. It's the only food item that goes in the trash.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

I have fed potato peelings to my horses, goats, and chickens. The green parts of the potato contain solanine, which is a toxin, so I don't feed green ones. I don't trust Snopes for anything related to politics, but do trust them on some subjects:

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/potato.asp

And from Ireland, land of the potato:

http://www.fsai.ie/faq/green_potatoes.html

 

[GBov]

The first time I went to Ireland I listened in amazement to about 8 people talking in the Green Grocer about potatoes. I didnt know anyone could get THAT excited and argue THAT much about different kinds of spuds! :shock: But as there are so many different ones and they are for so many different things over there its not wonder. Over here the supermarket is lucky to have four different kinds, all for the same thing!

And omg, the apples!

I miss LOTS about Ireland but NOT the WEATHER!!!

 

[MaggieJ]

I would never feed potatoes raw, nor would I feed sprouted or green potatoes. I do occasionally feed a small serving of baked potato to the buns, if it is leftover from supper. Maybe I've just been lucky but have had no ill effects.

 

[GBov]

Then during the war years and shortly after when they were fed to rabbits all the time did people just accept the occasional death due to potato peels?

 

[MaggieJ]

According to what I have read about the War Years, they fed them steamed... cooked, in other words. In Britain, you could not feed grain to rabbits then... just wheat bran and that was rationed, depending on how many rabbits you were raising.

Excellent article:

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&source=we ... Vw&cad=rja

 

[akane]

A couple articles is not going to change my mind from the dozens I have read. Nothing gets potato peelings here cooked or raw.

 

[MamaSheepdog]

My house rabbit, Hassenpfeffer, loved baked potatoes. It was her very favorite treat. When she refused to eat one, I knew the end was near. She died the next day.