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Dexter, OR

I may have just lost a 700lb pumpkin to my chickens tonight. I have six chickens that I let run around in my garden and patch and they have never done any damage...until today. They pecked a hole about 5" around and 2" deep. Sprayed it with bleach water and put a fan on it. Any other ideas...besides a chicken dinner...? Anybody kept one going after something like this? What do I do?

8/19/2008 12:16:39 AM

Cochecton, NY

Don't take it personal, but learn from your mistakes. Either shoot the chickens or keep in the coop. That sounds like a big wound. I am not a pro, but you might have just ended your season. Hopefully not though. We all know that this hobby requires extreme amounts of time and dedication. To have it squashed over night is a real bummer. I had a plant get wrecked way early in the season and back then I was disappointed. Luckily it bounced back, but it was enough to piss me off though. Best of luck treating it. Do you have any other plants or was that your only one?

8/19/2008 8:29:04 AM

Dexter, OR

I have one more. Should be over 800# tomorow.

8/19/2008 10:17:39 AM

Colorado Springs, Co ([email protected])

yep, sounds like your gonna have to figure a way to put chicken wire up around your pumpkins if they run wild like that. I remember we had the same problem when i was a child with the chickens pecking at the tomatoes and everything else in the garden. Sorry to hear to bad news.

8/19/2008 10:27:22 AM

Ankeny, Iowa

I think you could try keeping the wound dry and free of rot or bugs. It could dry up by itself in a few days. I wouldn't consider the pumpkin a lost cause yet. I've had pumpkins with smaller holes survive and still continue growing. Keep trying and maybe you'll still be able to keep the pumpkin. Good luck

Junior

8/19/2008 11:39:24 AM

[email protected]

Maybe some captan or daconil would help it, with a fan on it perhaps. May surprise you and dry out. I had a rather large crack on my Wallace pumpkin that I thought I was done for the season. However, I sprayed it with daconil a few times and kept it dry, it's solid! No more ooze and dry. Whew! There are a couple of marks, but, that one really had me concerned, now it looks like a crack with nasty brown mark. I would say keep the chickens away from the patch, and may have to put some fencing up to keep them out. Chicken wire is great stuff, holes are small enough that critters stay out, ie, bunny rabbits, chickens, woodchucks and skunks.

Sorry to hear about that, but, not much you can do but keep an eye on it and hope it dries out. Good luck.

8/19/2008 11:46:09 AM

Dexter, OR

I have had a fan on it for almost 24 hours. It seems like it is drying ok. How do I know when I am out of the woods?

8/19/2008 9:24:08 PM

San Jose [email protected]

aboush, do you keep a sheet over the top, this will keep the curious chickens off your pumpkin. when/if is scars over you are out of the woods, if it keeps ooozing your in trouble

8/19/2008 11:11:16 PM

Dallas, Oregon

Hey Dan, This year I put up deer fence so I could sleep at night, it seems to keep out the chickens too.You have some incredible punks going there. Good luck with the wound, dust with captan and keep dry. Might want to consult with Dr. Starr.

8/20/2008 12:03:55 AM

Ont ([email protected])

You Should do what I did and get rid of the chickens and get some ducks instead.

8/20/2008 12:17:29 AM

Dexter, OR

Gary - The funny thing is that it was covered with a sheet. one must have stuck his head between the sheet and the pumpking. Hungry little bugger. The wound seems to be drying and it has not been oozing at all. Looks very clean actually.

8/20/2008 12:29:00 AM

Taylorsville, California

Chickens WILL without fail peck your fruit, did in your soil uncovering roots, eat benificial worms and bugs, and do just about anything bad to your garden if given the chance,, seems like you were lucky to have any pumpkins growing at all. 5 neighborhood chickens were slaughered here this spring penetrating my fences. Good dinner though! Good luck and keep them fowl locked up or in a scalding pot of water!

Auston

8/21/2008 6:09:42 PM

Rhode Island

slap some ground sulfer into the wound, fan dry and you can make it

8/22/2008 6:47:10 AM