The question is , are pumpkins a " natural dewormer" for rabbits, ducks , chickens etc.
There has been some controversy concerning whether or not pumkin is a " natural dewormer" or not because Pumpkin seeds contain the amino acid called cucurbitin, which paralyzes and eliminates the worms from the digestive tract.
However the absolute truth of the matter is the studies that were done weren't done just using plain old pumpkin seeds, flesh or any natural part of the pumpkin but extracts that were isolated and concentrated down to specific levels of the cucurbitin by either heat, cold or alcohol. Just plain old pumkin parts in no way get the same effect. Now I too was under the impression that this was a miracle dewormer by reading these snippets from " homesteaders etc" or by said same on various vlogs. However scientifically this is nothing more than an old wives tale that's filled with partial truths and misleading information. If your goal is deworming naturally look elsewhere. Just look up the actual studies on pumpkin deworming and look at the concentrations and preparations. It's not cutting up a pumkin and chunking it in front of them. Also to be mentioned is that the only studies ever done were on goat populations and even then it was only effective using a concentrated extract .
Now with that being said pumpkins are still rich in vitamins A , B , calcium , iron, zinc and manganese which are very beneficial. Also keep in mind pumpkins are rich in carbohydrates and sugars and should be given sparingly.
So just because your favorite vlog person says they know this to be true because they read it when they googled it doesn't make it so. Sorry to burst your bubble.
But when your done with the Halloween pumkin chunk it out for your animals they will love it. It won't deworm them but they'll enjoy it nonetheless. 🎃
Link to actual study.
Comments