Happy Halloween!
It’s a common question at this time of year … can my chickens eat pumpkins?
(1.5 minute read)
The short answers is yes, it’s a great source of nutrition and enrichment … however, there’s a few things to consider:
Pumpkin is healthy for birds and their eggs - there’s scientific studies to show that pumpkin can boost antioxidants (polyphenols and flavonoids) and lower cholesterol in the eggs of birds that have eaten pumpkin (depending on the species), so feeding pumpkin to your chickens is likely to be good for you and your birds!
Enrichment -chickens love novel items, it stimulates their brains and if the new items are food related, then it’s a double treat!
Left over pumpkin needs to be removed - birds will show interest in novelty items for a bit, but as soon as the interest fades, remove the pumpkin. The pumpkin may start to go off quick, especially the squishy inside bit. There’s a risk of mycotoxin, which are the toxic by products from moulds, and these are bad for all animals - please don’t leave left over pumpkins out for wildlife either!
In moderation - any new food in large quantities may upset your chickens tummy and cause diarrhoea - a small treat is fine, a pumpkin the size of a human head for 3 birds to gorge on, may get them into trouble!
Keeping it legal - I need to mention the rules about feeding poultry food from the kitchen. It’s illegal to feed poultry any food that has passed through your kitchen. If you’ve bought (or grown) your birds a pumpkin treat, please delivery it directly to your birds, if it’s sat around in the kitchen, or even been carved it at the kitchen table, then that’s not compliant with the law. This may seem a bit fussy, but the law is there to safeguard animal and human health.