Pecan Questions

[MissChessy]

My husband and I are having a bumper crop of pecans this year!!! This is the first for us in the 17 years we've lived in this house. Our pecan trees have never produced pecans until this year! My question is this......we have pecans really thick in the chicken run, are those pecans edible being that they are in the enclosed chicken run and exposed to chicken poo??? They are not covered in poo, but just the thought of cracking those pecans open and taking the meat out exposes the meat to chicken manure??? What are ya'lls thought on the matter??

 

[Judy]

If it were me I'd try to crack them and let the chickens learn to eat the insides. Walk around the run with something heavy and drop it onto them, maybe. So often the shell isn't really fully closed or is cracked from its fall, at least onto regular ground around here. The intact ones may be safe but I wouldn't want to eat them. And I bet they would love them, once they figured out the inside is good.

 

[MissChessy]

Anyone else have any ideas on pecans being in the chicken run????? No comments????? Just one comment???? These are Native Pecans, the very best and rare type of pecans. I'd hate for them to go to waste.

 

[7L Farm]

I have 60 native pecan trees at our farm. I sell them . Native pecans are sweet & used to make candy with.

 

[silkiechicken]

I know nothing about pecans... but I eat the black berries right off the bushes, and I'm sure there are chicken poop particles on them from all the dust baths they take in the summer.

If the nuts are in the shell and the shell isn't broken, is there anything preventing one from washing them in a mild soap water, drying them out again, and then cracking them open?

That's what I'd do if I had piles of nuts inside of shells.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

You could always wash them and then crack them. Dunk them in some water with a bit of bleach to kill anything that may be on them, then air dry them, and crack them. I wouldn't be afraid of them if they were cleaned. Granted I'd just toss any that had actual chicken squat on them, but the others would be fine.

 

[3goodeggs]

Quote:
Don't waste those nuts! I like my chickens, but the day they get any nut is the day I die in the coop.

wash, dry repeat. crack ,eat, and enjoy.

 

[maizey]

if you crack and shell those particular pecans you could use them for cooked items only,, cooking would probably kill any bacteria. For a further reduction in bacteria you could gather them up, and making sure they arent cracked, give them a hosing down and let them dry on a clean sheet or tarp in the sun,, the uv rays and the drying would kill some too, then you could cook them. But if the idea of eating them grosses you out, you probably wouldn't enjoy them anyway... you could always incorportate those into chicken feed or you could make some squirrels very happy campers this winter. eating is never 100% safe in the best of circumstances, so do what makes you feel most comfortable.