Broiler Heart Attack - Still Okay to Eat?

[Applonia Farm]

Hi all,

So we're raising our first batch of broilers (20) and everything has been going relatively smoothly. They are being pasture raised in a Salatin inspired tractor. They are seven weeks old and other than loosing one the first week, we haven't had any other losses until tonight.

I was outside painting around dusk when I heard them all start squawking so I went running into the back section of our land where they are and I see one of them on one side of the coop flapping its wings frantically "flying" back and forth across the tractor and the rest of the birds were freaking out trying to get away from him. After a couple seconds, he collapsed to the ground and was dead within a minute later.

I went ahead and processed him since I need the practice having only processed a couple heritage roosters so far.

The question is, is he still okay to eat? I know you wouldn't want to eat something that had died hours earlier but since I saw it happen, I don't see any problems but thought I'd check with the experts.

Thanks!

 

[cavemanrich]

Ok to eat since you got him fresh. It is not uncommon for broilers to die due to heart failure. One reason to process them at the ideal time. I had one that lived to be about 1 year old. I gave it away live because I did not want to eat my pets. Hen did not make it very long afterwards. New owner did not even get the benefit of the meat since she died and was already stiff when found.
Edit.
Almost forgot.....

 

[duluthralphie]

Yep..was the cavity full of liquid??

It might be time to do them all if more die.

 

[duluthralphie]

Ok to eat since you got him fresh. It is not uncommon for broilers to die due to heart failure. One reason to process them at the ideal time. I had one that lived to be about 1 year old. I gave it away live because I did not want to eat my pets. Hen did not make it very long afterwards. New owner did not even get the benefit of the meat since she died and was already stiff when found.
Edit.
Almost forgot.....

Another reason to raise toads...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/toad-raising.1152440/

 

[cavemanrich]

This was Hank... He would come nightly for worms from my daughters hands. The one day Hank was MIA... My daughter

 

[Birdinhand]

I'd say go for it as long as you inspect it and make sure there isn't gang green or some infection of some sort that caused the death. I'd also keep an eye out for predators, these birds can be scared into having a heart attack and that may be what started it.

 

[cassie]

Hi all,

So we're raising our first batch of broilers (20) and everything has been going relatively smoothly. They are being pasture raised in a Salatin inspired tractor. They are seven weeks old and other than loosing one the first week, we haven't had any other losses until tonight.

I was outside painting around dusk when I heard them all start squawking so I went running into the back section of our land where they are and I see one of them on one side of the coop flapping its wings frantically "flying" back and forth across the tractor and the rest of the birds were freaking out trying to get away from him. After a couple seconds, he collapsed to the ground and was dead within a minute later.

I went ahead and processed him since I need the practice having only processed a couple heritage roosters so far.

The question is, is he still okay to eat? I know you wouldn't want to eat something that had died hours earlier but since I saw it happen, I don't see any problems but thought I'd check with the experts.

Thanks!

 

[cassie]

As others have said, it is OK to eat him. Broilers can keel over for no apparent reason. Whenever I raise broilers, I make it a point to check them over carefully at least twice a day. Any chicken that moves slowly or is bluish around the comb gets processed at once.

 

[Applonia Farm]

As others have said, it is OK to eat him. Broilers can keel over for no apparent reason. Whenever I raise broilers, I make it a point to check them over carefully at least twice a day. Any chicken that moves slowly or is bluish around the comb gets processed at once.

Awesome, thanks for all the great info. Now that it's light out, I was able to confirm this one was the one I've noticed had a little bit of an off-colored comb the last week or so. It was a little purple-ish which made me think he was having heart issues.

 

[Applonia Farm]

Yep..was the cavity full of liquid??

It might be time to do them all if more die.

The cavity did seem to have a bunch of water. What does that mean? Not something I've heard of before.