Each year I grow a couple of extra pumpkins to carve for Halloween. Instead of scooping out the insides myself, I give the chore to my chickens. But I guess it’s not really a chore to them, considering how eager they are to help.
Each pumpkin is hollowed out in record timing, flesh and seeds vanish (I’m careful to remove the pumpkins soon after, otherwise they’ll eat the whole thing before I get the chance to carve crazy scary faces). This saves me a bit of time and the hens get a healthy afternoon treat containing a natural wormer.
Uncooked pumpkin seeds contain Cucurbitin, an amino acid that can eliminate parasitic worms such as tapeworm and roundworm.
Even more reason to get your flock involved with pumpkin carving!
Happy Halloween, Blessed Samhain x
Great idea 😃
I bet your chickens love Halloween
Reblogged this on GrowHort – Grow your Horticultural Knowledege and commented:
Here’s an easy way to hollow out a Pumpkin for Halloween! That’s as long as you have a flock of back garden helpers at hand and find hollowing out Pumpkin’s a chore. Get post wonderful pictures just had to re-blog.
They do Sue, but not the early fireworks :(
Now you tell me?
:-)
Reblogged this on 2 Boys 1 Homestead and commented:
Great idea!
Reblogged this on 2 Boys 1 Homestead and commented:
Great idea!
Superb post and a great take on Hallowe’en. Lucky chickens!
I love the pictures—wonderful little helpers!!
Happy Halloween—-
Julie
Thank you!
Lovely post, I had no idea that Pumpkins were a natural wormer either. We kept chickens when the children were small and I remember they ate more of our oversized courgettes than we did, I wonder if they had the same effect.
What a fabulous idea! I’m sure the chickens were happy helpers!
They certainly were happy helpers, very full crops come bedtime!
Thanks Julie. I let some of my courgettes grow too big on purpose (and sometimes not!) to give to the hens, they love them and strip them to nothing. They’re all part of the same family so they probably do help.
That’s so smart! We don’t carve pumpkins but it’s a brilliant idea. Your photos are stunning too. My hens would enjoy this feast!
This is a great idea ! and they seem to love it too. Must be delicious eggs too they’re giving you, :) Ann
Thank you lizard100, they really get stuck in!
Reblogged this on homesteaddad and commented:
I wish I had thought about this two days ago.
That’s a fantastic idea! I am definitely trying this next year when we get our chooks.
Reblogged this on The Garden Smallholder.