pumpkins, squash or melons...

[sydney13]

When spring comes I plan on growing some field corn for my chickens. I was going to use the "three sisters" method with the beans climbing up the corn and the squash/pumpkins smothering the weeds.
My question is, what do you think the chickens would prefer, squash, pumpkins or melons? I want to grow it for the chickens and then feed it to them through the winter along with their regular grain mix, so I want them to like it. Does any one know which one would be the easiest to grow or which one will have the highest yields?
Also I was wondering, do chickens like to eat dried poled beans?

 

[steve25]

my chickens love squash ,pumpkins and melons. i always plant extra pumpkins for winter feedings of one pumpkin per week. I noticed my egg production went up . They love watermelons and cantoloupe on hot summer days. also if you live where its cold in winter you can put pumpkins on pallets and cover with tarp. when you feed them to chickens just step on them and they will break in half, even when frozen.

 

[sydney13]

Quote:
Which one of those do you find easiest to grow? I like the idea of storing them on pallets, I think Ill do that

 

[bockbock2008]

The pumpkins will definately keep longer after harvest.

 

[sydney13]

Maybe ill try a little of each. Can pumpkins and squash cross pollinate?

 

[HEChicken]

Mine don't eat pumpkins. A couple of years ago I had a spaghetti squash volunteer and if they could peck a hole in the side of one of those, the chooks would clean it out. So after Halloween, I asked my neighbor for her jack-o-lanterns, thinking they'd have similar fun with those. They didn't touch them. They sat in the yard and rotted. The following year the same neighbor, thinking she'd done me a huge favor, dropped off her jack-o-lanterns again. This time I tried baking them, thinking the chooks might like them better cooked, but again, they wouldn't touch them. I've heard of plenty of people whose chickens do eat pumpkin but that's been my experience so far.

 

[chuckzoo]

Yea, mine wouldn't eat the pumpkin either and I bought it especially for them! Ate the seeds though.

 

[sydney13]

I really hope mine will eat them, I dont want to grow a ton of pumpkins only for them not to touch them

... well at least that would mean more pumpkin pie for us

 

[chuckzoo]

Why don't you buy them some pumpkin, squash and melons and see if they like it before you plant them.

 

[Cass]

Quote:
Which would you prefer to eat if the chickens turn up their beaks at your offerings? That's what you plant.

I'm not sure what the result of cross pollination between vine crops would be, but does it really matter if you are feeding it to chickens, who will eat just about anything anyway?

As a rule I keep similiar crops 8 - 10 feet apart if I am worried about cross pollination. Except squash. I plant them all in an area I don't care if weeds grow in, cuz I HATE to weed those prickly vine crops. (so I don't weed them)