Pumpkin Won't Protect Your Birds: Worms Are Winning While You Wait

Pumpkin and Chickens: Why It's Overrated and Ineffective as a Dewormer

Pumpkins are everywhere in the Fall, and many backyard chicken keepers love tossing a split pumpkin into the run for their flock. Social media is full of claims that pumpkin seeds act as a "natural dewormer" or that feeding pumpkin provides major health benefits for poultry.

The truth? Pumpkin is not a dewormer and it's not a miracle food for chickens.

The Myth of Pumpkin as a Dewormer

Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitacin, a compound that has shown some anti-parasitic activity in lab settings. However, the concentration in pumpkin seeds is far too weak and inconsistent to clear worms in chickens. No scientific studies support pumpkin as an effective poultry dewormer.

Pumpkin's Limited Value as Feed

While chickens will happily peck at pumpkin flesh and seeds, nutritionally, pumpkin doesn't offer anything special that they can't already get from their chicken feed, which is the healthier option.

• Low in protein- which is what laying hens, growing birds and molting chickens need (to be precise they actually need Amino Acids- the building blocks of protein)

• High in water content- meaning it fills birds up without adding much substance or proper nutrition

In other words, while pumpkin won't harm your chickens when offered occasionally, it also doesn't provide significant nutritional or health benefits.

Why Proper Deworming Matters

Parasites are one of the most common health challenges in backyard flocks. Worm infestations can:

• Decrease egg production

• Cause weight loss and poor growth

• Lead to pale combs, diarrhea and overall weakness

• Spread rapidly within your flock

The only way to protect against these issues is through proven, effective dewormers, not seasonal treats.

We offer 2 types of dewormer here at the Ranch:

1. Chick' N Digestion- Preventative- a more natural option. Use 2-3 times a week as a preventative.

Chick' N Digestion

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The key benefits of Chick' N Digestion:

• All-natural support for digestion & gut balance

• Maintains healthy intestinal transit

• Promotes nutrition absorption

• Recognized antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial & immunomodulator properties

• Helps prevent intestinal parasites

  Definitely a more natural option, which is definitely more effective than pumpkin.

2. Piperazine Dihydrochloride- Treatment- Belongs to the family of medicines called anthelmintics. Anthelmintics are used in the treatment of worm infections. No Egg withdrawal when used as directed.

Piperazine Dihydrochloride

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Instead or wasting time and energy on ineffective myths like pumpkin, poultry keepers should use science-backed dewormers such as Piperazine Dihydrochloride, which is formulated specifically to control roundworms in chickens and turkeys. These products are reliable, safe and actually work.

Final Word

Pumpkin may be fun for Fall photos, but it's not a superfood and it's certainly not a poultry dewormer. If your goal is healthy, productive hens, stick with balanced feed and proven parasite control- and leave pumpkin where it belongs, as a pie recipe or decoration, not a solution.