Whether domestic pets or wild birds, Pheasants require a nutrient-dense diet to stay healthy and live a long life. We feed our birds a lot of food that we are not supposed to.
However, you can feed your pheasants potatoes, be it boiled or baked, or mashed. These sorts of soft potatoes are both delicious and easy to digest.
In addition, they provide an adequate supply of carbohydrates and healthful fats.
However, you need to be aware of which potato variety to feed your birds because white potatoes and sweet potatoes are not the same.
White potatoes are mostly available in two colors: yellow or white. They are nightshade plants but are not hazardous to your pheasants, either cooked or raw.
However, the greener portion of white potatoes should be avoided at all costs. Additionally, hens should not be fed the leaves, blossoms, or vines since they contain poisonous chemicals. Fortunately, your birds won’t eat those; they’ll rather eat the potatoes.
Aside from that, the entire sweet potato plant is safe to feed to your birds.
What Are the Health Benefits of Potatoes to Pheasants?
Potatoes are nutrient-dense. They contain vitamins, potassium, iron, and other nutrients that benefit the health and performance of your pheasants. Additionally, they are gluten-free.
Here are a few health benefits of feeding your bird’s potatoes.
Metabolism
Potatoes are filled with vitamin B6, which aids in the digestion of food by breaking it down into smaller pieces that are more easily absorbed by the body.
This enhances the energy and productivity of your chickens.
Additionally, the fiber in potatoes aids digestion and prevents constipation, promoting a healthy digestive system.
Healthy Bones
Another advantage of providing potatoes to your pheasants is that it improves their bone development.
Potatoes are high in nutrients and vitamins that promote bone growth. Zinc, magnesium, iron, and phosphorus are examples of such minerals.
These nutrients provide your birds with the bone structure and mineralization they require for optimal performance.
Related: Here is an article I wrote on pheasants mating for life
Inflammation
You can always find anti-inflammatory properties in potatoes. They are nutrient-dense and aid in the reduction of edema and irritations on the body.
Additionally, they improve muscular contraction, fat absorption, and the function of cellular membranes and neurons.
Healthy Heart
Birds are also susceptible to heart problems such as heart attacks and heart failure. Potatoes are nutrient-dense and promote heart health.
Potassium and low cholesterol content in it help minimize the risk of heart disease. Due to the lack of cholesterol, your hens will not become overweight as long as you feed them potatoes in moderation.
How Often Should I Feed Them Potatoes?
Although potatoes are a nutritious addition to your birds’ diet, they should be given in moderation.
Pheasants can consume raw potatoes as treats and as an addition to their normal diet. They are, nevertheless, less nutrient-dense than other foods.
As a result, they deprive your flock of the nourishment necessary for optimal growth and development.
Rather than allowing your birds to rely solely on raw potatoes, vary their diet and introduce new foods that will provide them with healthy and balanced nutrition.
Can Baby Pheasants Eat Potatoes?
Yes, inasmuch as they haven’t turned green. You should cut the potato into smaller pieces so they can pick it up easily with their beak.
Can Pheasants Eat Potato Skin?
Pheasants can eat potato skin, even those that have become somewhat green. But, yes, the green ones can be harmful in excessive amounts.
Potato peels include protease, an enzyme inhibitor that prevents other enzymes from degrading food and delivering nutrients to birds.
Additionally, raw potato comprises a high concentration of starch, which might cling to the crop. With time, the starch can ferment, which can be dangerous.
Also check out this article I wrote on why pheasants dig holes
Can Pheasants Eat Potatoes Raw?
Yes, they can consume raw potatoes. Both raw potatoes and sweet potatoes are safe for your pheasants.
The only exception is that you avoid feeding your bird’s potato that has turned green or molds formed on it due to improper storage.
Protease is an enzyme found in raw potatoes. This enzyme stops and inhibits other enzymes from degrading the meals consumed by birds and converting them to nutrients, making the food more difficult to digest, delivering fewer nutrients to the bird.
Raw potatoes have a high concentration of starch. Therefore, if the potatoes are not well cooked and the starch remains in them, the bird consumes it.
The starches stay in the bird’s crop and ferment over time, which can be lethal. To remove the starch from potatoes, soak them in water for 3-4 hours before cooking.
This extracts the majority of the starch from the potatoes.
Can Pheasants Eat Potato Chips?
No. Salty and fatty foods are detrimental to your birds. However, the exceptionally high salt concentration is dangerous, as it can result in everything from digestive difficulties to dehydration to kidney failure.
Things to Consider When Feeding Pheasants Potatoes
Are Pheasants Allowed to Eat Sweet Potatoes?
Sweet potatoes are not just for people; you can also feed them to your birds. Additionally, all parts of sweet potatoes are okay to feed to pheasants — peels, stems, leaves, flesh, and blossoms.
There are a few commercial feeds that include sweet potatoes due to their health benefits for birds.
Potatoes Are Available In Three Colors: White, Yellow, and Red
These potatoes are members of the nightshade family, which contains solanine, a toxin that can be lethal in excessive doses.
The consequences can include respiratory infections and paralysis. As such, you should use caution while providing white, yellow, or red potatoes to your chicken birds.
In addition, while boiling such potatoes lessens their solanine content, the chemical can accumulate in the body and create more severe problems.
Furthermore, not all sections of these potatoes are suitable for pheasant consumption.
Because the peels, skins, and eyeballs typically contain the most poisons, you should avoid feeding them to your birds.
It’s best you don’t feed them the white, red, and yellow potatoes or better still ensure that it is well cooked.
Quantity
If your pheasants enjoy potatoes, resist the temptation to feed them on a daily basis. Potatoes are a delicacy that should account for no more than a tenth of their daily calorie intake.
Consuming an excessive amount of potatoes can result in obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and elevated blood sugar, among other complications.
You should not feed your birds more than three potato portions per week.
What Are the Ways of Feeding Potatoes to Pheasants?
The best way to feed your pheasant is to cut the potato into small pieces. This will make it easier for your birds to pick them up.
Pheasants don’t have teeth, which makes chewing the food a challenge.
Also, remember to remove the green parts as they may contain solanine, a poisonous substance that might kill your birds.
Alternatively, you can slice a couple of potatoes and tie them together. Then arrange them in an area that your birds can peck at.
Not only would hanging potato cubes make it easier for your birds to discover food, but they will also keep them amused.
Simultaneously, it will keep your birds active and distracted throughout the day.
Conclusion
Pheasants do eat potatoes; like every other bird, it is beneficial to them.
Whether boiled or sliced up, mashed or baked, potatoes are an excellent source of food for your birds.
Also, do not give your birds crisps, French fries, and chips.
Their nutritional values are very low and can cause obesity, dehydration, and even death.
Additionally, don’t give your pheasants a high quantity of raw potatoes because of the starch, which ferments over time in their crop, eventually killing them.
