Pumpkin?

[luvbunnies]

I remember reading somewhere that pumpkin is good for rabbits. Well it's that time of year and we have some pumpkins. How much should they have? Any other info. on rabbits and pumpkins?

 

[MaggieJ]

pumpkin-they-won-t-eat-it-t18468.html

 

[Madpiratebippy]

http://www.feedipedia.org/node/44

Looks like the leaves of pumpkin- of all the curcubits, from acorn squash to zuchinni- are what's traditionally used for fodder. The seeds are a good coat conditioner as well as great for expelling parasites, but if you want to grow pumpkins for that, to improve palatability, you might want to consider growing a hulless variety, such as a Lady Godiva pumpkin.

As far as actually feeding the fruit, better success might be had with slicing it fairly thin, or grating it a la beet roots if you don't want to cook it.

Given how aggressive curcubit vines can be in the garden, it's nice to know they're a safe bun food.

 

[michaels4gardens]

I feed "Seminole Pumpkin" and most [but not all] like it-- but-- feed a little at a time along with regular feed, and give them about a week to see if they want it,-it takes most a few days to warm up to it---make sure they get to try the seed, most really like those if dried a little.- I think the flesh "may be" a little too acidic [just a guess] for some.
------I like to dry the seed and include it in the feed for nursing does.

 

[Zass]

Has anyone tried feeding dried pumpkin slices?

 

[akane]

We get free uncut pumpkins after halloween from my husband's family. The past 2 years we just threw them at the concrete until they made pieces and then threw the pieces and gunk in to the colonies and cages. It mostly disappeared over a few days and then we'd do another one. I buy butternut squash sometimes for the animals. When they go out of season they can sit for months on the counter until you cut them up. I don't know about dried but winter squash can be halved and baked or boiled (breaks down more sugars) to make it store longer.

 

[Madpiratebippy]

We get free uncut pumpkins after halloween from my husband's family. The past 2 years we just threw them at the concrete until they made pieces and then threw the pieces and gunk in to the colonies and cages. It mostly disappeared over a few days and then we'd do another one. I buy butternut squash sometimes for the animals. When they go out of season they can sit for months on the counter until you cut them up. I don't know about dried but winter squash can be halved and baked or boiled (breaks down more sugars) to make it store longer.

I have a pumpkin on my counter that's a beautiful mottled pink, from the farmer's market, that I've had since October, and it's still absolutely perfect in mid-april. Some of the old varieties of winter squashes were bred for long term storage through the winter, so I'm at 7 months on this pumpkin and I'm still going to eat it myself!

This year I'm planning on planting some squashes to grow up trellises for shade, and hopefully for over-winter feed for buns this winter.

 

[MR_ND]

I've never tried feeding it to my rabbits but since I'll have pumpkins this fall. I'll see if they will eat it.

 

[michaels4gardens]

Has anyone tried feeding dried pumpkin slices?

I want to try drying some this year and see if it stores well, and if they like it-- it could be a good late winter/ early spring feed, when other feed options are getting slim.

acording to my calculations [and I am not great at this] dried winter squash should have about 1800- 1900 calories / pound.

 

[Madpiratebippy]

If you have a good space to dry the vines/leaves, all curcubit vines and leaves are edible by rabbits, as well, and that can stretch the feed a bit longer, too.

 

[dayna]

I know they are edible but I've never gotten goats or rabbits to eat the vines. Maybe because they are scratchy?

Everybun and everygoat here loves pumpkin/squash though. I just smash them up and toss them to the masses. We have wild pumpkins growing from compost bins at almost everyones house year round so sometimes I just come home to a small pile of squash/pumpkin stacked up at my gate. lol

 

[michaels4gardens]

I know they are edible but I've never gotten goats or rabbits to eat the vines. Maybe because they are scratchy?

Everybun and everygoat here loves pumpkin/squash though. I just smash them up and toss them to the masses. We have wild pumpkins growing from compost bins at almost everyones house year round so sometimes I just come home to a small pile of squash/pumpkin stacked up at my gate. lol

my rabbits don't like the vines either, -- maybe because they are comparing it to kale

 

[Zass]

I'm thinking, perhaps just like the fruit itself, if they don't like the vines fresh, it might be worth a shot to try them dried.

 

[MaggieJ]

In my experience, most rabbits dislike the fuzzy texture of pumpkin and squash leaves. They may eat the very young leaves, however, and drying the older leaves may make them more palatable. Rabbits are less picky in winter too!

The seeds of pumpkins and squashes are popular with rabbits. Some are enthusiastic about the flesh... others not so much. I've always found mine prefer their pumpkin to be cooked, so I nuke it in chunks for a few minutes. Drying is also a good idea.

 

[the reluctant farmer]

Mine are actually fine with the leaves of pumpkins but ignore the fruit. I will try baking it this fall. Mine aren't crazy about cucumber leaves, but they'd sell their mama and throw in a pack of chiclets for bean leaves.

 

[Featherhoof]

Mine love green bean leaves. They ate a bunch of it yesterday along with spent whole broccoli plants.