Hi all. I am fairly new to quail. I am raising for meat and eggs. I have 6 birds about 12 weeks old now and am keeping them on wire floor rabbit cages. I guess the wire isn't as good quality as it should be because even keeping it clean I now have at least three with bumblefoot infections. I really don't want to surgery on all the little feet and would rather cull and move healthy ones to new type of cage. The birds seem otherwise healthy. Eating well etc. Can I eat the meat from these birds? Assuming I am, careful during slaughter not to contaminate the meat? Will I get sick? Or is it just a preference not to eat infected birds? What are the chances I would get ill? I just really don't want to waste the meat.
Well.. Bacteria can be killed, if you cook the meat properly. Only real problem is toxins produced by the bacteria - they are usually very stable. But if the bird seems healthy, I doubt it has enough toxins circulating in its body to cause disease in humans. Though that last bit is just guesswork ^^ But even if you do eat enough toxins to cause disease, usually all that happens is you spend a day vomiting and not feeling too well, next day you're fine.. I wouldn't try feeding it to my sickly grandmother before trying it myself though.
Dont ingest any animal with an existing open wound. Especially bumblefoot since as was pointed out its a staph infection.
Thank you to all. I will try a dirt floor next. Live and learn. Although I guess that brings its own problems. Worms?
