Yeah...that freezing and thawing over time seemed to be the only way I could get the chickens real enthused in pumpkins..and the sheep as well. When all the water seeped out and it's flattened and deflated looking. For some reason it becomes like crack cocaine at that point...maybe it's the time of year when they haven't had anything in the way of veggies and fresh forage for a few months, so the pumpkin is particularly needed for it's nutrients then. Not sure....I just know they don't like it fresh, barely ate it when cooked but finally finished it, and seem to be ravenously enjoying it after it's deflated, pale and with a sprinkling of mold. Go figure.
My chickens all seem to prefer it soft, whether cooked or aged. Quite a few do like it fresh, though, to the point that they will seek out pumpkins that I have stored on the deck or out for decoration. I have to hide any that I want to store for a length of time.
I have a run in shed that I use for sheep lambing jugs. I put a truckload of pumpkins in one of those stalls, to store for the pigs. I have some ewes in the surrounding paddock because they are getting close to lambing. They are chowing down on the pumpkins! Several a day. The vet was out the other day and she was surprised that sheep would eat them, too.
