# another chicken question



## Jaspar (Feb 3, 2010)

I built their coop/run near our garden. I forgot that I had left some pumpkins to rot last year right next to where their run will be. I scraped up a whole bunch of old pumpkin seeds in the corner of the run where the grass is pretty long. 

Anyway, my question is whether or not these old pumpkin seeds will be harmful to the birds. 

Thanks.


----------



## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

No, they are going to be mad that you scraped up the pumpkin anyhow! I have a mulch pile next to my one coop, I toss all my veggie scraps and such on it. I even put my potato peelings in it. They say potatoes are poisonous to chickens. What I have observed, if they arent suppose to have it, they just dont eat it. They will scrtach those peelings out of their way to get some carrot pulp.


----------



## Jaspar (Feb 3, 2010)

lilmissy0740 said:


> No, they are going to be mad that you scraped up the pumpkin anyhow! I have a mulch pile next to my one coop, I toss all my veggie scraps and such on it. I even put my potato peelings in it. They say potatoes are poisonous to chickens. What I have observed, if they arent suppose to have it, they just dont eat it. They will scrtach those peelings out of their way to get some carrot pulp.


Thanks. Good news for them that there are still a lot of seeds left in the grass. :2thumb:


----------



## Emerald (Jun 14, 2010)

lilmissy0740 said:


> No, they are going to be mad that you scraped up the pumpkin anyhow! I have a mulch pile next to my one coop, I toss all my veggie scraps and such on it. I even put my potato peelings in it. They say potatoes are poisonous to chickens. What I have observed, if they arent suppose to have it, they just dont eat it. They will scrtach those peelings out of their way to get some carrot pulp.


I've noticed that loose chickens will not eat the potato peelings and go for other stuff instead but if they do get dumped in the pen (if you have to pen your chickens like I do) they will eat them.. I am not going to test the theory about them being able to eat them or no... I am gonna trust my family and others who have had chickens for year with their advice not to feed them potato peelings.
But with pumpkins and seeds.. OMGOODNESS you'd think it was crack the way those chickens go bonkers when I toss the guts in..or the spent jack o' lanterns. I know pumpkin seeds are yummy but the chickens so love them..


----------



## MsSage (Mar 3, 2012)

pumpkin seeds are a natural wormer too.


----------



## dunappy (Nov 11, 2008)

Leave those pumpkins alone and the chickens will clean them right up. Horses, donkeys and mules also like pumpkins. One time my mom picked up a load of pumpkins to put in the back of her horse drawn wagon for a parade. All the other participants in her group had a hard time keeping their critters from eating the pumpkins as the walked down the parade route.


----------

