Over-Ripe Yellow Squash - Safe to feed?

[EvanAlexJames]

hello, all.

I have been gone a while, but I’m back on the forums to ask a question.
Earlier this year, my grandfather got the whole garden planted, but then he threw his back out around the time the squash bloomed. We didn’t expect anything to be out there, so we never checked it.

last weekend, I went out there and found some GIANT yellow squash that was far over-ripened. Would it be okay to feed this to my chickens? Did I need to do anything special to do so?

 

[Chicken Heel]

Shouldn't be a problem. I would suggest chopping them up a bit. And it may take a few days for the birds to get them consumed.

 

[jpalmatier83]

Fine to feed them.

Id microwave them a minute or two and cut them in half the long way.

 

[Coops Dad]

I give our chickens giant zucchini and squash. I just bust them open and the chickens go at them like crazy. They leave the stems and some of the skin.

 

[Saveria]

The good thing about overripe squash is that the seeds are big. Mine seem to like the seeds the best.

 

[nuthatched]

Why wouldn’t it be safe?

 

[Saveria]

Why wouldn’t it be safe?

Maybe they thought squash had to be cooked like the nightshade family vegetables?

 

[NatJ]

hello, all.

I have been gone a while, but I’m back on the forums to ask a question.
Earlier this year, my grandfather got the whole garden planted, but then he threw his back out around the time the squash bloomed. We didn’t expect anything to be out there, so we never checked it.

last weekend, I went out there and found some GIANT yellow squash that was far over-ripened. Would it be okay to feed this to my chickens? Did I need to do anything special to do so?

Yes, it should be safe to feed those squash to the chickens.

It should be about the same as feeding pumpkin to chickens, and lots of people do that around Halloween time.

 

[nuthatched]

Maybe they thought squash had to be cooked like the nightshade family vegetables?

Perhaps.
People can eat over ripe Squash too, tasty.

 

[NatJ]

People can eat over ripe Squash too, tasty.

Does it even make sense to call it over ripe?

It is past where summer squash usually get harvested, but certainly not past the point that winter squash get harvested. Summer and winter squash are often the same species anyway, just harvested at different points.

Yes, I would be inclined to try cooking some of them for people too