Pumpkins are very versatile, this food can be prepared as a meal on its own and it can be used to create an assortment of delicious foods and treats, some of these treats are made especially for chickens.

This food is packed with a variety of nutrients and flavors. But what about pumpkin skin? Can chickens eat pumpkin skin? This article looks into it 

Chickens can definitely eat pumpkin skin, the skin is a very nutrient-dense part of the vegetable, pumpkin skin is rich in beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Because the skin is so hard, you may need to cook it in order to soften it up for your chicken 

Can chickens eat pumpkin skin?

Healthy chickens eat a diet of chicken feed, fruits, and vegetables. Pumpkin is a vegetable that chickens love, these birds can eat pumpkin skin as well.

The bulk of a chicken’s diet should be its feed. Fruits and vegetables should make up 10% of the bird’s diet. 

Benefits of chickens eating pumpkin skin

Pumpkin skin is quite nutrient-dense, the food is rich in beta carotene, it is also a good source of fiber, contains vitamin A as well as vitamin C.

Beta carotene:

Beta carotene is beneficial for chickens as it maintains the color in your chicken’s comb, skin, beak, eggs, and feathers. This nutrient is also converted into vitamin A in a chicken’s body.

Vitamin A:

Vitamin A maintains the bird’s skin, eyes, digestive tract, and respiratory organs. Vitamin A is also crucial as it helps to maintain a healthy immune system in birds.

Vitamin C:

Vitamin C is helpful for chickens as it helps to alleviate the effects that stressful conditions have on the bird.

How do you give chickens pumpkin skins? 

Pumpkin skins are quite tough when raw, some chickens may enjoy the activity of pecking, breaking the skin down, and eating it but other birds may not. It all depends on which bird is eating the food.

Cooking the pumpkin:

If you want to make this food easier for birds to eat, you can feed your bird cooked pumpkin skin, cooking helps soften the hard skin.

Breaking the pumpkin open:

Another way to help prepare the pumpkin skin for birds is to break the pumpkin skin up, this helps get the skin started so that the bird doesn’t have to work so hard to take it apart.

Roasting the pumpkin:

You can also roast the pumpkin, this makes the skin soft enough for chickens to easily eat

When feeding pumpkins to chickens, be sure not to feed them this food as their main food source, the vegetable should act as a supplement rather than a meal for the bird.

Leftover pumpkin should be removed once the birds are finished with it. Leaving the skin, or any other part of the pumpkin out will attract pests like rats, ants, and cockroaches looking for food.

Is pumpkin a natural dewormer for chickens?

As much as we’d love nature to provide all the remedies for our chicken’s ailments, in this case, it can’t. Pumpkin is not a natural dewormer for chickens.

Many have said that pumpkin, and or pumpkin seeds, will deworm and act as a natural antiparasitic for your chickens, unfortunately, it can’t. 

This food will only help to prevent a worm infestation but it can’t prevent a worm infestation entirely, it is only slightly preventative.

If your chicken is suffering from a worm infestation, the best course of action would be to send the bird to a vet and get the appropriate medication for the worms 

What to avoid when serving pumpkin skin to chickens:

When looking to feed pumpkins to your chickens, it is important to only feed these birds fresh pumpkins.

Canned pumpkins won’t benefit chickens as well as fresh pumpkins can, this is because canned pumpkin contains added sugars or syrup.

The added sugar or syrup can cause the bird to become overweight and even obese. This can cause a drop in egg production 

Also, avoid feeding them pumpkin skins that have gone rancid or have mold on them. The best thing to do with these pumpkins skins is to simply throw them away,

Conclusion

In conclusion, yes, chickens can eat pumpkin skin, this food can deliver a variety of vitamins and minerals to the bird’s body including beta carotene, fiber, vitamin A as well as vitamin C.

Because the skin is soo hard, not many chickens will be drawn to eating this food, thus, you can break the pumpkin up into smaller pieces or you can cook or roast the pumpkin skin to make it softer and easier for chickens to eat.

Avoid feeding your chickens canned pumpkin as it usually contains syrup or sugar

If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other chicken related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Can chickens eat apple cores?, Can chickens eat persimmons?, Can chickens eat ivy?, Can chickens eat irises?