Years ago we learned that Native Americans used pumpkin to cure kidney infections and rid the body of worms, and the leaves of the pumpkins may be crushed and rubbed on as a fly repellent. Not only this but pumpkins are safe for livestock to eat. So we contacted some friends who had a pumpkin patch and asked if after the pumpkin patch season was over if we could buy some of their left overs. They were thrilled to have someone help clean up the unwanted pumpkins and when we returned home with pickup truck loads of pumpkin we were delighted to find that the flock was equally delighted to have fresh pumpkin! That winter we made sure they had a steady supply of pumpkins in their feed area. With each new pumpkin they made games of rolling it around and breaking it open.
But, fresh pumpkin is a seasonal thing. And what is actually helping with parasite management in the digestive tract is a compound found in the pumpkin seed called cucurbitin. Cucurbitin affects parasites by paralyzing them so they can no longer attach to the body and they are expelled from the digestive tract naturally. Continue reading
Tikkun Homestead 