Pumpkin Seeds Have Health Benefits
An added bonus to feeding hulled pumpkin seeds to chickens is that it naturally assists livestock in ridding themselves of intestinal parasites. In fact, pumpkin seeds can be used for a variety of livestock including dogs, horses, and even for humans. The seeds contain an amino acid known as cucurbitin which paralyzes the intestinal parasites (i.e., tapeworms, roundworms, etc.) making it easier for the chickens to digest the parasite. Bear in mind that the seeds need to be hulled so that the chickens can get to the healthy parts of the seed. Follow these directions for making this tasty treat for your chickens.
Step 1: Simply, break the pumpkin into chunks or cut in half and remove the seeds. Using a food processor or blender, chop the pumpkin seeds into smaller bits. You may want to add some water to help the mixture grinder faster. Grinding the seeds up well will also help to make it easier for your younger chickens in the flock to digest.
Step 2: I added some of the chicken’s organic feed to the mixture for some added nutrition, but feel free to add additional chicken scratch, vegetable or fruit scraps, or some people even add whey, yogurt or buttermilk to the mixture to make a “pumpkin smoothie”. Stir your mixture up well. You can even add some sprouted seeds too.
Step 3: Bon Appetit! Simply pour the contents back into the halved pumpkin or just throw it into the chicken coop. Your chickens will instantly become curious and begin pecking at their delicious treat.
Happy Chickens!
Well I learned something new that I will definitely try soon. The happier my chickens are the more eggs I get!
you can feed them to rabbits as a treat a well
Tess, As your raspberry plants grow next season, they will produce their berries on this year’s growth and send up new shoots from the roots for next year. Later in the summer you can bend these new shoots over and bury their tips in the ground or in pots with soil in them and they will root, thus starting a new plant. After the root is well established, they can be cut loose from the parent plant and then….ta-da! you have increased your stock of plants without having to buy more. If you started them in pots, you can plant them in a new bed or give them away. I started with six plants four summers ago and have more than tripled my beds, besides giving a couple of dozen to family members. At the end of summer, you should cut out the canes that had berries this year so that all you are left with are the new shoots for next year’s berries. Hope this helps you get started.
Janet,
Thank you so much for the tip! I just bought three more, but will try your suggestions out in the Spring.
Tess