Air Potatoes

[jentralala]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I have a bit of a concern. The area where I want to build the run for my chickens (the only shady area in the yard) is surrounded/covered by hundreds of air potato plants. I'm doing my best to remove as many as I can (plus the bulbs), but a lot of them are also growing on my neighbors adjacent property, or are in areas I can't get to. Does anyone have experience with this plant and chickens, and just how toxic it may be to them? Will they naturally avoid it? I'm going to try as hard as I can to eliminate it from their run and the area immediately surrounding it, but when I let them 'free range' in my fenced yard is this something I should worry about? I'm especially worried about them possibly eating very small bulbs they may find in the yard/on vines.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

I was curious, so I looked it up. I found this very informative article. It sounds like an absolute nightmare of a plant and very, very difficult to control. However, I haven't found anything yet on toxicity.

http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/node/133

 

[jentralala]

Thank you so much for researching! Yeah, I haven't found anything on toxicity to animals, but from what I've seen, nothing here touches the bulbs. Even my dog who eats rocks and sticks won't eat them.

Nightmare is right, this plant is AWFUL. It grows massive within just a few days, one plant can make hundreds of those bulbs. I've been spending my evenings digging up an eradicating every plant I can find, and I've dug a few bulbs up that weighed at least 3lbs. Bigger than both my fists. And the leaves are bigger than my hands, too.

I would just be devastated if my chickies tried to eat the bulbs or leaves and got sick, but there's no way to completely get rid of the plant, as they grow up the neighbors trees and drop the bulbs into our yard.

 

[Blooie]

I've never heard of this before....but it sounds a lot worse to deal with than an occasional dandelion! I followed the link and it sounds a lot like kudzu - or however that invasive plant is spelled. I'm no help, but I must admit my curiosity. Please let us know if you get any more information regarding the toxicity, etc. And good luck to you!

 

[jentralala]

Kudzu is awful too, that stuff spreads like crazy! I'm glad I don't have to deal with that in my yard as well, urg.

I think I'll try callingthe UF plant department tomorrow to see if they may have any other info, other than that I'm kinda scratching my head a bit. For such an invasive plant (some counties in Florida even have a collective team of volunteers who go out to dig up and destroy as many of this plant as possible!) it's got very little toxicity info out there.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Thank you so much for researching! Yeah, I haven't found anything on toxicity to animals, but from what I've seen, nothing here touches the bulbs. Even my dog who eats rocks and sticks won't eat them.

Nightmare is right, this plant is AWFUL. It grows massive within just a few days, one plant can make hundreds of those bulbs. I've been spending my evenings digging up an eradicating every plant I can find, and I've dug a few bulbs up that weighed at least 3lbs. Bigger than both my fists. And the leaves are bigger than my hands, too.

I would just be devastated if my chickies tried to eat the bulbs or leaves and got sick, but there's no way to completely get rid of the plant, as they grow up the neighbors trees and drop the bulbs into our yard.

Because it's such a horribly invasive plant that has worked its way into wild habitat, you might find some help in fighting it by contacting The Nature Conservancy. Good luck!

 

[jentralala]

"These varieties contain the steroid, diosgenin, which is a principal material used in the manufacture of a number of synthetic steroidal hormones, such as those used in hormonal contraception.[2]There have been claims[3] that even the wild forms are rendered edible after drying and boiling, leading to confusion over actual toxicity." -Wikipedia

"No records have been found indicating past or present cultivation of D. bulbifera as a food crop
in Florida. The presence of cyanogens and the toxic alkaloid dioscorine have been documented
to exist at varying levels in certain varieties of D. bulbifera, making them unpalatable or
poisonous to eat without proper processing. Chemical analyses of the compounds known to
contribute to bitterness and toxicity in the tubers and bulbils of the plant are still required in
order to better define the levels of these components as they exist in the invasive population we
have in the United States. Ward (1977) states that the bulbils from the variety present in the U.S.
maintain the bitterness that is commonplace in several varieties in the plant‘s native range and
causes nausea if ingested, regardless of repeated washings and/or boiling." -Fleppc

Ugh. I'm getting more and more worried about this ;/

It's possible to move the run, but I really, really wanted it to be in that shady patch that was mostly hidden from the drunk crazy neighbor. Even if I DO move it though, there's always a chance that the bulbs could fall into the run from above.

The ONLY thing that makes me think I may have a chance is that there are no reports of it killing wild birds (which, if it did, I'm sure would become an epidemic) BUT chickens aren't most birds.

 

[jentralala]

"subterranean and aerial tubers contain glycoside that cause gastroenteritis and bloody diarrhea." I found this on a parrot site, BUT where I think they got their info was from a website with no sources (and that was talking about dogs), so I don't know exactly how accurate it is. Plus, I've never come across a case of a dog being sick from air potatoes? I don't know though. I don't want to make excuses or anything, but this is really making me paranoid. I'm going to call my vet and ask if she's ever had an issue with this plant and the toxicity of it.

The area where their pen would be (and the rest of the yard) will be raked for any potatoes and I will dig up any and all that I find (and burn/freeze them), but there are so many in my neighbors yards that I know a few bulbs will plop into my yard.

 

[jentralala]

Just wanted to post a bit of an update. I'm still working on digging out all the vines I can grab, but it turns out I'm getting some help in battling this plant, in the form of air potato beetles! This is my first year seeing them in my yard, and I am ECSTATIC as I can see them munching away on this icky plant. Woot! Definitely a morale booster

 

[Jesleh]

I know it's been several years- but did you have any issues? I also have a yard over run with air potatoes and am nervous about the chickens. And goats too for that matter. Thanks!