9week old meatie died overnight

[andisgarden]

I have meaties that are scheduled to process Wed and last night I fed them before I went to bed and then I woke up this morning and one of my biggest birds was frozen solid dead. I figure it is a heart attack. I want to cut it open and see what happened because it was so close to processing. My main question has anyone ever ate a bird that died of a heart attack w/o being fully processed? I will check the heart, liver etc... to check for worms and everything. If its clean would you eat the breast?

Andrea

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I wouldn't eat it, as it didn't bleed out properly for one... and secondly you just never know. I would just take it as a loss and look forward to your Wednesday processing date.

However if you do cut it open, the only thing you may find out of place is fluid in the cavity. Which is sure signs of a heart attack especially if it's yellow. Check the livers for spots on them... not heart attack but may be something else that is causing the problem.

Bottom line is once you push them past that 8 week mark they sometimes just drop for no apparent reason. My best advice is if your going to push them past 8 weeks give them a lower percentage protein diet and only normal daylight hours.

Good luck...

 

[chicks4kids]

Also, if you cut it open and find meat that is "green" in color that just means that there was not enough oxygen getting to that area--which you can get very easily once they get so large. I had a bird I processed at about 10 weeks, and he had this.

 

[andisgarden]

Well it is confirmed, a heart attack. I cut it open and yellow yolk like goo just oozed everywhere. I cut the breast out and am boiling them for my dogs and cats. OH they are going to eat soo good because these breasts are HUGE. I can't wait to get the rest of them processed so I can have a taste.

Andrea

 

[Brunty_Farms]

LOL...you will get that taste soon enough, good to see this one is being used. They do taste amazing.

 

[jaku]

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If I remember correctly, the yellow liquid inside the bird's cavity is a sign of sickness, not heart attack. I forget what it's called though.

 

[Ariel301]

Fluid build up in the body cavity is called ascites. It's caused by congestive heart failure or liver failure.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Quote:
yep... thats the technical name of it...

 

[TimG]

Quote:
I encountered some green meat in a meat bird that came out of the freezer. It was along the keel bone and I did not notice it until the chicken was roasted. I cut it away and ate the rest of the chicken, but I've been wondering what this might have been. Have others encountered this?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

I have seen it before too. But mine was like what you described, along the keel bone... I chalked it up as a bruise though. Not sure exactly what it was but have seen and heard of green muscle disease. Not sure what causes it.