Can I feed this to my chickens?

[Sammster]

I brought in a sugar pumpkin that was not fully ripe, to allow it to ripen, indoors. But, I've discovered that it has a small, soft spot, and know it won't last. Can I give this under-ripe pumpkin to my girls, as a treat?

 

[azygous]

Sure, feed it to your chickens. If the soft spot isn't moldy, it's just got more sugars in it and will be sweeter than the rest. The pumpkin is ripe enough to eat. I raise squash of all kinds each summer for my chickens, and I store them under my house over winter. Squash will keep for six to ten months if the temperature is no higher than 50F.

I use a saw to cut the squash in half. Save a few of the seeds, dry them out, and plant them in your yard come next spring. Then you'll have a whole lot of free pumpkins for your chickens next year at this time. At $5 a pumpkin, save those free seeds and grow your own. It's easy and fun.

 

[Sammster]

Sure, feed it to your chickens. If the soft spot isn't moldy, it's just got more sugars in it and will be sweeter than the rest. The pumpkin is ripe enough to eat. I raise squash of all kinds each summer for my chickens, and I store them under my house over winter. Squash will keep for six to ten months if the temperature is no higher than 50F.

I use a saw to cut the squash in half. Save a few of the seeds, dry them out, and plant them in your yard come next spring. Then you'll have a whole lot of free pumpkins for your chickens next year at this time. At $5 a pumpkin, save those free seeds and grow your own. It's easy and fun.

Thank you, will do!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Sure, feed it to your chickens. If the soft spot isn't moldy, it's just got more sugars in it and will be sweeter than the rest. The pumpkin is ripe enough to eat. I raise squash of all kinds each summer for my chickens, and I store them under my house over winter. Squash will keep for six to ten months if the temperature is no higher than 50F.

I use a saw to cut the squash in half. Save a few of the seeds, dry them out, and plant them in your yard come next spring. Then you'll have a whole lot of free pumpkins for your chickens next year at this time. At $5 a pumpkin, save those free seeds and grow your own. It's easy and fun.

That’s brilliant! Now to keep hubby from roasting them…

 

[azygous]

Save out about 20 seeds, and Hubs can roast the rest.

 

[Sammster]

Save out about 20 seeds, and Hubs can roast the rest.

About the seeds ~ is it likely they may have cross-polinated with the acorn squash that I planted in the same bed?