"Pumpkin seeds are a natural dewormer in chickens." AND/OR "Pumpkin seeds prevent worms in chickens." - Statement(s) found on multiple Facebook chicken groups posted on November 28, 2015.
After a search of the literature and talking to
other veterinary colleagues, I can definitively state that there is no
scientific evidence to support this claim. While anecdotally one or more
people may have noticed an effect, it is important to recognize that in order
to definitively determine the beneficial effect of any potential medication or
supplement controlled scientific trials are essential to determine their
efficacy. Specifically, we would need a controlled flock of birds with
worms; half of the flock would be given the pumpkin seeds and the other half of
the flock a sham or placebo. Next, the worm load would be determined and
if there was a significant difference between the two groups you could start to
consider the potential beneficial effects.
Obviously, people observe things anecdotally and draw conclusions from their observations. However, we need some level of scientific rigor to validate anecdotal claims. Science is slow and tedious. Things like repeatability, dose effect, and other types of "confounding" factors make results challenging to interpret. Simply stating that pumpkin seeds are a natural dewormer is not good science or medicine in my opinion.
Answer
provided by Maurice Pitesky DVM, MPVM, DACVPM
Veterinarian/Assistant Specialist in Cooperative Extension
Poultry Health and Food Safety Epidemiology
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California
Veterinarian/Assistant Specialist in Cooperative Extension
Poultry Health and Food Safety Epidemiology
School of Veterinary Medicine
University of California
