Cucurbita spp.

Pumpkin, squash, gourd

Useful reference: 248

The pumpkin is native to tropical and subtropical climates. Many varieties are cultivated. The seeds are sometimes extracted for their oil or fed to animals.

USE. Too many seeds in the diet may cause indigestion owing to the high fat content. Pigs should be given shelled seeds, as they will have difficulty eating them otherwise. The oilcake is an excellent protein concentrate but turns rancid if not properly defatted. The hulls are of little value because of their high fibre content.

					As % of dry matter
				DM	CP	CF	Ash	EE	NFE	Ca	P	Ref
Seeds with hulls				90.0	31.6	19.7	4.0	38.9	5.8			462
Seeds without hulls				92.6	35.7	2.3	4.2	49.9	7.9			183
Oil meal with hulls,
solvent extracted				89.5	47.0	34.0	8.5	1.3	9.2			291
Oilcake without
hulls, mechanically
extracted				88.0	63.2	5.7	9.0	13.0	9.1			248
Hulls				89.8	19.0	72.0	2.8	5.9	0.3			291
							Digestibility (%)
					Animal		CP	CF	EE	NFE	ME	Ref
Seeds with hulls					Cattle		84.0	61.0	96.0	68.0	4.61	183
Oil meal, extracted					Sheep		81.0	40.0	48.0	96.0	2.50	291
Hulls					Sheep		38.0	13.0	77.0	40.0	1.00	"
		Amino acid composition as % of crude protein
Seed											Ref	303
Arg	Cys	Gly	His	Ils	Leu	Lys	Met	Phe	Thr	Try	Tyr	Val
11.0	-	-	2.1	3.6	5.4	5.1	2.1	4.3	2.3	1.5	-	4.2