I thought chickens loved pumpkins?

[Cuttlefishherder]

Our chickens weren't interested in the pumpkin, but we didn't introduce it like we do most new things. They ate all of the guts and some smaller pumpkins but otherwise just left the jack-o-lantern pumpkins a lone. lol Silly chickens

 

[ladrholman]

I read in one of Joel Salatin 's books (from Polyface farms) that he keeps the pumpkins under cover in the winter and will bring one in and warm it up/thaw it to a mash for a winter treat. I thought I might try this. My girls will pick at the squash or pumpkin (raw or cooked). Challenge in the garden!!

Love the idea for the pumpkin feeder maggie. Will try that too!!

 

[donnavee]

I tried the same thing last year and was disappointed to see they had no interrest, except for the seeds and guts. Then I tried baking it and that was the trick. I do the same thing with leftover squash from the garden.

 

[dulcimer lady]

My chickens LOVE pie pumpkins! It's one of their favorite treats. I just open them up in half and put them out there and they pick them 100% clean.

 

[tcates]

Mine won't touch the pumpkin unless I take out the seeds and all the strings.... then they eat until they eat thru to other side

 

[The Tinman]

The seeds are suppose to be good for them. The seed itself helps prevent worms so you will have to grind them up.

 

[BirdLadyWingfield]

I gave my 15 ladies pumpkin innards the day before Halloween. They seemed to have eaten everything but the seeds! Should I have dried, roasted, sprouted, soaked, or anything like that?! How do I entice my ladies eat them?!

 

[Chicken poppy]

I gave my 15 ladies pumpkin innards the day before Halloween. They seemed to have eaten everything but the seeds! Should I have dried, roasted, sprouted, soaked, or anything like that?! How do I entice my ladies eat them?!

Hi! Just letting you know the thread is about 13 years old so you may not get a lot of replies here.

You can experiment, each chicken is different so it really depends. Some of mine hate pumpkin, some love the guts, some like the seeds.

Mine like the seeds a lot better if i sprout them though.

 

[BirdLadyWingfield]

Thank u!

 

[PVILLAGO]

I read that many of you were feeding your chickens pumpkins... so I went to town and bought 30 lbs of pumkins. I took one and broke in half and waited for them to run up and start scarfing it down. All 14 of them took a smell or taste and then turned away in disgust. They never took another look at the pumkin. A few days later I removed it from the chicken yard and threw it away in my compost pile. What up with that?

Mine too. But they eat pureed.
Boojee girls I guess. I am baking many and pureeing it and freezing it to use or give as needed.