pumpkin for deworming

[Gonzo]

I'm getting ready to chop up some pumpkin seeds for my flock, how often do I need to do this? will one time deworm, or can I do it too much?

 

[Happy Chooks]

I don't know if you can "overdo" it, but I just took a pumpkin and threw it on the ground so it would break in half. It took them a couple days to go through the seeds and another couple of days to eat the flesh.

I have to say though, it's not their favorite treat, so they wait til everything else is gone, before they eat it.

 

[hinkjc]

That's what we do too. Chop it in half and let them have at it. Mine have been working on pumpkins for the last week now. They'll eat the meat out of it too if they can get good pokes at it.

 

[Chad the Chicken Man]

my chickens when crazy for it, a split it in half and gave them one half and then the next day gave them the other half, and they cleaned it up fast!! i never herd that pumpkin deworms them though. why and how does it?

 

[usschicago1]

Great to give pumpkins to birds. And you can overdoo it. Make sure they are eating there normal food too. Remember it is not proven so you cannot guarantee your flock is not wormed. Don't let it replace routine worming (;

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
They had an article about it in the last Backyard Poultry magazine.

 

[Tailfeathers]

My chickens love pumpkins. I used to break them in half and anymore I just throw one or two out and they eventually eat a hole in it and then have the whole things devoured in a few days. The only thing left is the stem.

God Bless,

 

[FrizzleDizzle]

ya know, it never occured to me to take my pumpkins out to the chickens. this is why i scan the message boards. i learn lots of little things tht i should have thought of myself but didnt.

 

[vfem]

I mixed mine into a mash in the food processor and fed with yogurt. They only ate it one or 2 times... not huge fans of it. When I leave the bowl out they usually only eat it the first day and not finish it at all.

I use it as a preventative... I didn't know it actually dewormed!

 

[AHappychick]

i put 4 pumpkins worth of seeds and organic buttermilk in a blender and made a mash of sorts and then I made them fast for 12 hours before giving it to them as their only feed for that day.

The next day I followed up with a bran mash and then back to regular feed.

I have never seen any worms and all my birds are healthy I think but I use this as a preventitive measure.

I have been collecting all of the discarded whole pumpkins left out for garbage as well and use those to worm the silkies whom I dont stress if they are not 100% organic as I never eat the eggs only hatch them lol