Today I started decorating for Fall. I love it when the air is cool for sleeping at night and the leaves rustled past your feet when you walk. Even the girls received a little decorating in the perennial garden near the coop; an urn stacked with three gourds.
I can’t wait until the girls get to enjoy a freshly picked pumpkin. I love to put an entire pumpkin in the run with the chickens. I watch them enjoy pecking at the rind until they poke through and discover the raw stringy goodness of goo and pumpkin seeds.
Raw pumpkin seeds are a great all natural wormer for chickens. Pumpkins also prevent boredom and help exercise your flock. Last Fall, I spent hours watching the girls experience their first pumpkin. We are planning on picking our own pumpkins at a local patch. I hope that you will share these wonderful gourd like squash with your flock too. You and your flock are guaranteed to be entertained for hours.
Photo Credit: Tilly’s Nest
9 thoughts on “Pumpkin Power”
I wish I had a flock to care for. I have wanted my own girls for two years now. I hope they enjoy their treat!!!
Oh so good to know 🙂 I cannot wait to get one for them! Thank you !
From Beyond My Kitchen Window, is there anything we can do to help you to get a flock of your own? I know you would love them.
Melissa, I know your flock will love it! You are welcome 🙂
Pretty. We planted pumpkins this year but they didnt grow.
Thanks Jennifer. How sad about them not growing but you are braver than me for at least trying! I have never tried to grow them. Will you try again next year?
Our pumpkin and squash plants were killed off by squash bugs this year. Thankfully there is a local farmer that has great prices.
Does squash seeds have the same effect as pumpkin seeds? I cooked up some butternuts the other day and gave my girls the goo and seeds. That night and since, their combs have been so bright red.
Hi Kim, pumpkin seed shells contain a particular chemical that paralyzes the worms and they then can no longer hold onto the insides of the chicken and are passed out in the chicken poop. I am not sure about the squash. I will see if I can find anything out about that…
I found this site. http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_pumpkin.htm It sounds like all of the pumpkin(pumpkin, squash, gourds) family have cucurbitin, but pumpkin seems to have the highest level.
Thank you Kim! I love learning new things especially from chicken friends! Now I can feed the "guts" of all squash to the girls and help fight off worms. This is fantastic!