Are whole raw pumpkin seeds safe for chickens?

[LakeGooseBerry]

A while back I asked if grapes (with seeds) were safe for my chickens and got responses saying that the grapes were fine but the seeds could cause problems. So no grapes.


Now I’d like to know what everyone thinks of the guts from all the autumn pumpkins, including the seeds. Will whole raw pumpkin seeds cause problems?

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Feed away, though bigger seeds can be too big, most get eaten. I generally just smash pumpkins over the fence, and everything eventually disappears, except the stem.

 

[17 chickens]

Pumpkin seeds and cucumber seeds are a natural wormer for poultry, I load up on pumpkins this time of year for them to feast upon. I have way over 100 chickens and it's a great treat for them!

 

[sannabelle]

Chickens love pumpkins and pumpkin seeds!!! Mine get any of the dud pumpkins from our little patch

 

[Ridgerunner]

First, I totally agree the pumpkin guts, seeds and all, are safe for your chickens. If you still have babies the seeds may be too big but even adult bantams as small as seramas should enjoy them. I split excess cucumbers, summer squash, and winter squash for mine. They eat everything except the stem and sometimes skin.

Don’t count on the seeds as a wormer. That’s been studied by a couple of universities, they were looking for an organic way to control worms. They were studying goats, not chickens, but the basics are the same. The seeds do contain a substance that can paralyze roundworms but the dosage varies a lot from one pumpkin to another, even the same variety of pumpkin. It’s unlikely the chickens are going to eat enough seeds to make a difference with worms, they just won’t get enough of that substance. But they are still a great snack, they will not hurt.

What did people say were unsafe about grape seeds? There is a lot of misinformation that shows up on this forum, I’d like to have an opportunity to address whatever they said. Mine love grapes, seedless or seeded. They make a great snack.

 

[lazy gardener]

What did people say were unsafe about grape seeds? There is a lot of misinformation that shows up on this forum, I’d like to have an opportunity to address whatever they said. Mine love grapes, seedless or seeded. They make a great snack.

Agreed. There is a lot of "they said" mis-information on BYC, and for that matter on the internet. Just b/c someone says it, that don't make it so. I filter everything through my "does that make sense" sieve. If it does not make sense, I do a bit of research, and combine that research with experience. (As long as my experimentation is not likely to cause harm.) When one of those "they said" and often repeated facts is responded to as RR has ("Please show me the evidence by posting a pertinent study") the hearsay either gets dropped until some one else asks the same question in a new thread... or the "they say" people drop the conversation.

 

[DIGGIN CHICKEN]

The only thing i dont feed my birds are apple seeds ,onion, potatoes and raw beans. They get pumpkin most days,carrots and cabbage .... and when i have a fews bucks extra ... water melon ...they love watermelon better than corn ... its like sweets to them ... and you dont have to worry about their teeth rotting!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

My chickens get apples with the seeds, whether they eat them or not isn't my business. They also get lots of leftover soups and cooked bean dishes containing tons of onions, garlic, and potatoes. I find chickens are smart enough not to eat anything toxic, but my chickens aren't confined either, so the desire to eat everything is gone.

 

[birdy1]

what is the best way to grid or crush pumpkin seeds? I think I'd feel better feeding them if smaller.

 

[rosemarythyme]

what is the best way to grid or crush pumpkin seeds? I think I'd feel better feeding them if smaller.

There's no reason to crush them. That's what chicken grit is for.