How much pumpkin is too much?

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

I've been waiting a solid week for mine to eat a butternut squash, it's pretty hard but i roughed it up for them and still absolutely no takers. Maybe it's because i gave it to them and they didn't just snatch it.

Mine WILL eat pumpkin and squash raw, but prefer them cooked.

My father grows a large number of butternut squash, and after cutting up a few (or if he has to cull a few that have bad spots) he'll cook up the peels, seeds, and "innards" on his wood stove (too cheap to pay to run the stove he says) and brings it by for the chickens. They love it!

 

[azygous]

If you're offering any sort of squash to your chickens, and it appears untouched, perhaps you might try opening the squash and exposing the innards. I keep an old hand saw hanging on the coop for this purpose.

I grow all varieties of squash in summer and store probably sixty of the large fruits in my crawl space and dole them out over the winter to the chickens. They probably get three large ones a week.

They go nuts over squash. But they always eat their full portions of fermented feed each day also. It doesn't appear to be diminishing their nutritional intake.

 

[lazy gardener]

If you're offering any sort of squash to your chickens, and it appears untouched, perhaps you might try opening the squash and exposing the innards. I keep an old hand saw hanging on the coop for this purpose.

I grow all varieties of squash in summer and store probably sixty of the large fruits in my crawl space and dole them out over the winter to the chickens. They probably get three large ones a week.

They go nuts over squash. But they always eat their full portions of fermented feed each day also. It doesn't appear to be diminishing their nutritional intake.

What Azygous said! I simply toss it on a rock and it splits open. If I'm prepping it for the kitchen, I put it in a plastic bag before tossing it on a rock. Occasionally, I'll use the road! My birds always eat their FF, and I don't worry about giving them too much veggies. If they have constant access to them, they self regulate.

 

[chickens really]

I buy the occasional squash too...Either spaghetti or Butter Nut...I poke holes all over it and put on a plate in the microwave for 12 minutes...Then I cut it in half and cool..I then give half to the Chickens and half to the Call Ducks...They love it...

 

[Chickassan]

I killed the squash for them when i tossed it out,whacked it with my garden trowel so its mangled they're just being weird.

 

[chickens really]

I killed the squash for them when i tossed it out,whacked it with my garden trowel so its mangled they're just being weird.

My Chickens won't touch it unless it's cooked ...Then look out..They all gobble it up and talk a blue streak..I don't think my Rooster even gets any?...Too busy Tidbitting to the Hens...lol

 

[Chickassan]

Spoiled things, guess I'm going to have to become a squash chef.

My Chickens won't touch it unless it's cooked ...Then look out..They all gobble it up and talk a blue streak..I don't think my Rooster even gets any?...Too busy Tidbitting to the Hens...lol

 

[chickens really]

Spoiled things, guess I'm going to have to become a squash chef.

 

[RonP]

Giving too much other snacks and treats dilutes the actual nutrition they need from the Chicken feed..My Chickens all Fall only have ever gotten two pumpkin..

For me pumpkins are treated like any other treat, the total amount of treats given to the birds is 10% ± of the birds total diet.
Pumpkins are right around 15% protein so they will deplete the birds over all protein intake but they are a good source of β-carotene.

Well… I’ll offer my opinion based on my observations, not from any fact obtained from creditable sources, just me, take it for all it’s worth.

That said, chickens are prey animals. As such, they are opportunists, grab and go, grab as much as they can before going. Digest later when safe.

Thus we have “treats”. Offerings that they will grab and go… grab as much as they can because it may not be available in 5 minutes.

Treats can fill them up, thus disrupting their balanced nutritional diet. A mouse is a chicken treat. A piece of bread also. Treats are not something available all the time. Treats are an interesting alternative food source to chickens that they need to eat NOW or it may be gone forever…

I agree, keep treats to 10% or less than their regular balanced diet to insure proper health.

The first offering of pumpkin, what a treat! … till full … then… not so much a treat as it is still there an hour later. In my run, 2 or 3 months later. There are 7 25 – 30 pound pumpkins in my run in assorted states of disarray this morning. Pumpkins are just another free choice offering, nothing special or interesting, eatable food free choice. No different than free-range foraging, look for something more interesting, eat a bit here and there, then fill up on free choice nutritional feed, oyster shells, or grit, also always available.

For my flock, free pumpkins are not a treat. My feeding more than they could possibly eat works well for me, and seems to work just fine for them. Leftovers just compost naturally in the deep litter.

For all it's worth, hope this helps.

 

[Chickassan]

Update: Went outside hosed off the mangled squash, brought it it and nuked it added some unsalted butter,why not? And let it cool, took it out to the spoiled chickens and i nearly lost a hand. @chickens really you nearly got me killed.