Can we eat hen that is not well?

[andree]

Hello all,

We have decided to cull one of our hens, who hasn't been well for months. I posted about her in November 2018 in this thread.

She is almost two years old is no longer laying eggs, but I have no idea what is wrong with her. It's been several months since my post above and she is still alive and living with the others, who are all ok and still laying, so whatever she has, it isn't contagious and hasn't killed her.

How can I know if she is safe to eat? I have wondered about her having worms, because she developed a constant dirty butt, but de-worming didn't change anything.

Is there an online guide somewhere that shows what are signs of illness in the body?

This is our first cull and my husband will do it but I'll prepare the bird to roast and will examine for signs of illness.

Thanks and wish us luck. First time cull isn't easy.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Hello all,

We have decided to cull one of our hens, who hasn't been well for months. I posted about her in November 2018 in this thread.

She is almost two years old is no longer laying eggs, but I have no idea what is wrong with her. It's been several months since my post above and she is still alive and living with the others, who are all ok and still laying, so whatever she has, it isn't contagious and hasn't killed her.

How can I know if she is safe to eat? I have wondered about her having worms, because she developed a constant dirty butt, but de-worming didn't change anything.

Is there an online guide somewhere that shows what are signs of illness in the body?

This is our first cull and my husband will do it but I'll prepare the bird to roast and will examine for signs of illness.

Thanks and wish us luck. First time cull isn't easy.

Personally, I wouldn’t.

Just because whatever illness she might have can’t be passed from chicken to chicken, doesn’t mean that you can’t get sick after eating her. It just wouldn’t be worth the risk for me.

 

[Arielle2]

NO!! NEVER eat a sick bird.

Cull and burn if possible.

Dear uncle had the BEST racing pigeons in the area. Breeding and racing since he was 16. Those birds never cost him any money. Never. He won so many races that it kept the birds in feed. He tended those birds until the day he died well into his 80's!

He never tolerated a sick bird. Sick birds were culled asap. Made for a healthy flock with strong genetics for good health. He never treated a bird with antibiotics etc. Culled.

Took me a long time to understand the real value of this perspective. I wish he was still here to have greater discussions now that I understand.

Culling is not easy. It shouldnt be easy. I say a prayer for each one, a thank you.

 

[annageckos]

It depends. I'd cull and then have a look inside. You may find an obvious mass or something like that. If all looks well I'd probably eat her, just make sure to cook it well. If there are signs of infection then I'd pass.

 

[andree]

Thank you all for your replies.

We culled the hen this morning and I think it may have had ascites? When we cut through the back end to eviscerate, a lot of yellow liquid came out, probably 1 cup or more.

I don't suppose that we can eat that one? One thing I've never seen before is a clear almost almost slimey skin covering the meat on the thighs especially, which doesn't show up in photos. I have never seen this in store-bought chicken meat, so don't know if this is normal.

I'll attach the photos of the innards, perhaps if someone could tell me if it looks normal.

This hen had stopped laying eggs, but the other three hens seem fine, except for one who sometimes breathes with an open mouth, which is what we noticed the other one doing months ago. But they still laying eggs, so can I assume that the others are fine?

Thanks again for your guidance.

 

[Geena]

Thank you all for your replies.

We culled the hen this morning and I think it may have had ascites? When we cut through the back end to eviscerate, a lot of yellow liquid came out, probably 1 cup or more.

I don't suppose that we can eat that one? One thing I've never seen before is a clear almost almost slimey skin covering the meat on the thighs especially, which doesn't show up in photos. I have never seen this in store-bought chicken meat, so don't know if this is normal.

I'll attach the photos of the innards, perhaps if someone could tell me if it looks normal.

This hen had stopped laying eggs, but the other three hens seem fine, except for one who sometimes breathes with an open mouth, which is what we noticed the other one doing months ago. But they still laying eggs, so can I assume that the others are fine?

Thanks again for your guidance.

Personally I would never eat a sick bird, no matter what the illness. But you could cook it up and feed it to your dog or cat.
The clear, slimy stuff at the thighs is normal.

 

[Arielle2]

There is a reason why there is an inspector at the slaughter houses--- sick animals cannot become part of the food chain.

Why is a bird with tumors any less healthy than one full of pus???

Eat only healthy animals. Please.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

I agree. People who process chickens all the time will recognize an illness. The first time? It might not be obvious.

Not worth it. Consider this your experimental necropsy.

 

[Birdinhand]

I wouldn't, It's not likely to be a good eating experience questioning the flavor and texture as you chew. you probably won't get sick if it's cooked well but it's unlikely to be as nourishing. When I have waste birds or entrails or anything that I can't compost I dig a two foot deep hole near one of my fruit trees and burry it. I figure over time the nutrients get absorbed by the roots and nourish the fruit, so no waste, and it all happens a good safe distance from the humans and healthy birds.

 

[Fishkeeper]

Yeah, I really wouldn't eat that.
I will say, though- cancer isn't contagious, and especially not through being eaten. If you have a bird that you know died of cancer, or was going to die of cancer, that's food. Might be a funky texture, but you won't get cancer from eating a tumor.
That, though? I'm not sure what that is. Really odd textures, or especially unknown fluids, are a big warning sign. Chickens aren't supposed to contain large amounts of yellow fluid.