Have you seen the latest craze? People everywhere are feeding their chickens pumpkins!
It’s a challenge to see if your flock can carve a pumpkin just off the design you scratch into the surface of the pumpkin. It’s fascinating to me! The chickens actually start pecking only at the areas that have been lightly scratched off.
Pretty soon, they carve the pumpkins for you! I tried this with my flock, and they’ve done an incredible job. While this is fun for them and a great boredom buster, it’s also very healthy for them!
Why Are Pumpkins So Good for Chickens?
Pumpkins are packed with nutrients that are great for your feathered friends. They are high in fiber, and the seeds contain healthy fats. Pumpkins are loaded with essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, niacin, iron, magnesium, potassium, and beta-carotene. The beta-carotene is what gives your egg yolks that rich orange color!
Plus, pumpkins also contain vitamins A, B, C, and E, making them a nutritious treat for your chickens. Honestly, with all this goodness, we should all be eating more pumpkin! (Though I’m not sure my favorite pumpkin spice lattes count as healthy! Haha!)
How to Feed Pumpkins to Your Chickens
Your chickens can eat the pumpkins raw or cooked. They won’t mind either way. I usually cut (or break) my pumpkin in half. When I first started, I just set a pumpkin out in the run and waited for them to dive in. They didn’t understand the concept until I started poking some holes for them to peck at.
Chickens love to peck, scratch and explore new things. Pumpkins provide some great entertainment for them. You can even get chickens to carve your pumpkins!
Are Pumpkin Seeds a Natural Dewormer?
Pumpkin seeds are great for your chickens! There is some debate out there on whether pumpkin seeds are a good dewormer for your chickens. While it would take quite a bit of pumpkin seeds for your chickens to accomplish this, the coating on the seeds is what paralyzes the parasites/worms.
No matter what school of thought you have on this, feeding pumpkins and their seeds to your chickens will not hurt them. And, because they’re high in fiber, pumpkins are a great treat for their gut health.
Easy Pumpkin Treats for Chickens
Some people go to great lengths to puree their pumpkin insides for their chickens. I haven’t needed to do that. I cook up a lot of butternut squash in the fall. After it’s baked, I scoop out the insides and give them to my chickens. They go crazy for it. It’s a nice warm treat for them on these colder days.
Pumpkins can be cut up and frozen for an all-year treat. This can be done cooked or uncooked. The only thing to avoid is feeding them rotten pumpkins. My rule of thumb is that if we won’t eat it, our chickens won’t either. Feeding rotten foods to your flock can make them sic
Moderation is Key: Balance Treats with Proper Nutrition
While pumpkins make a great snack, remember to balance them with a high-quality chicken feed. Treats should only make up a small portion of your flock’s diet. Our chickens are part of the family, and keeping them healthy means ensuring they get the nutrition they need to live long, happy lives and keep providing us with healthy eggs!
Now, about that pumpkin spice coffee... and maybe even some homemade pumpkin pie!
And don’t forget my flock’s favorite treats—Golden Graze and Happy Tract—for an extra boost in digestive health and egg quality!
Until next time,
–The Wing Lady
Golden Graze - For Quality Eggs & Golden Yolks
Golden Graze is a daily chicken snack that promotes quality eggs with golden yolks and Omega-3 fatty acids. It contains oregano essential oils, multi-grains, cracked corn, oyster shells, marigold petals and flaxseed. Treat your hens to this healthy snack and enjoy eggsellent eggs.
Happy Tract - For Digestive Healthy & Immunity
Happy Tract is a daily chicken snack that promotes digestive health in your flock. It contains oregano, cinnamon and thyme essential oils, prebiotics, multi-grains, cracked corn and sunflower seed. Treat your feathered friends to this healthy snack.