Can you eat Polish Chickens? Are wild chickens okay to eat?

[19disbre]

I wonder how the taste? Find out for me

 

[alldembirds]

wild chicken? like a prairie chicken?

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Yea thats what I was thinking, how long can a chicken survive in the wild, we have a time protecting them let alone when they have no fence no coop no roost even, I doubt chicken would live longer than a week unless its in a urban setting

Going back to the late 1960s I can recall 4 separate hens who went MIA for 6 months to 2 years before 3 of they were either recaptured, returned to the fold, and the forth got her fool self ate by a varmint because she just vanished.

One was in a city, one escaped into a suburban setting and the other two were in true wild environments. All 4 had no food, flock, or fence, no roost or rooster, no coop, no human provided protection, water or shelter. The three hens that I know what happened to were all in good shape when they either returned or were recaptured.

The choice is yours. Your run, coop, or pen serves as either a haven from your chickens' Earthly enemies, or else your run, coop, or pen serves as a death trap whose purpose is to hem your poultry in for the slaughter.

I will say this, there are more numbers of more serious threats to Back Yard Chickens today than there were say 40 years ago, because now-a-days too many people think that chicken eating predators are too cute and they are given a pass to continue their depredations. The nature of these passes would make a farm wife from my Mother's or my Grannies' generations rollover in their graves. There are not half enough jail cells in this country today to house all the chicken hawk killing men and women who were alive 50 years ago when any hawk who wished to go-on living and doing well dared not sit on a rural telephone line while a pickup truck drove past.

 

[EilighsFarm]

DO YOU CARE TO DISCLOSE WHERE THESE WILD CHICKENS ARE AT.???

They are on the side of the road. We see them when we drive by. I decided not to eat them anyway. I'll raise some on my own.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Raising your own is probably a good idea unless you know for an absolute fact that those don’t belong to anyone and they are on your own land. Otherwise that could be considered stealing. At the least it could be trespassing.

One very respected member of this forum told a story of how some chickens went feral in northern Michigan. They lived through the Michigan winter foraging for their own food, probably eating snow for water, and roosting in trees.

One way small farmers have kept chickens for thousands of years is basically to keep them as feral chickens. The chickens feed themselves, hatch and raise replacements, and provide a lot of eggs. A lot of times they sleep in open buildings or trees. In winter they get some help with food but otherwise they are on their own. Usually there is a dog around to help keep predators at bay and the farmers do take out any predator they find.

I agree with George that the predator situation is worse than it once was but not quite for the same reason. Fence rows, pastures, and other fields have been allowed to grow up. That provides cover. A lot more people are living in the country, anything from a golf course housing development to trailer parks. These people have more dogs that are not controlled or trained for country life so they are more of a threat. Whether in suburbia or in these country developments coyotes, raccoons, and other critters have the perfect environment to thrive. To live in urban areas all they need is a park with trees or a streambed with growth on the sides. There are people that feed them and make the problems worse but garbage cans and people’s trash provide plenty of food and there is almost no predator threat to them. I forget how many coyotes live in the city limits or Chicago, maybe 2000? Did anyone else see that report? People have created the perfect environment for these critters. Coyotes have spread to a lot of areas new to them because people are creating the environment for them to thrive.

Chickens are prey animals. Lots of things eat them. It’s a hard life but some can manage, either in LaFreniere Park in Metairie Louisiana or out in the country. A lot don’t make it though.

 

[somedayfarms]

Yea thats what I was thinking, how long can a chicken survive in the wild, we have a time protecting them let alone when they have no fence no coop no roost even, I doubt chicken would live longer than a week unless its in a urban setting

People would think my chickens are wild.... I think I have the smartest chicken flock ever due to natural selection and survival of the fittest (the circle of life thing) We live in the woods when something gets hungry it comes hunting chickens. Hawks Coons Fox Bobcat Coyote they all like white meat. The pure breeds seem to fair a lot better and have instincts that keep them alive. They see the shadow and hide under something they don't stray to far from the safety of the farmhouse and when in doubt they kick one of the hybrid laying house chickens out as bait. If she comes back its safe and if not they stay hid. I wouldn't think one chicken would survive but you get them working together as a flock and they are pretty smart. btw I gotta think this thread was kind of pulling our leg a bit.... You wouldn't want me to see you trying to catch my chickens with a net...

 

[EilighsFarm]

Raising your own is probably a good idea unless you know for an absolute fact that those don’t belong to anyone and they are on your own land. Otherwise that could be considered stealing. At the least it could be trespassing.

One very respected member of this forum told a story of how some chickens went feral in northern Michigan. They lived through the Michigan winter foraging for their own food, probably eating snow for water, and roosting in trees.

One way small farmers have kept chickens for thousands of years is basically to keep them as feral chickens. The chickens feed themselves, hatch and raise replacements, and provide a lot of eggs. A lot of times they sleep in open buildings or trees. In winter they get some help with food but otherwise they are on their own. Usually there is a dog around to help keep predators at bay and the farmers do take out any predator they find.

I agree with George that the predator situation is worse than it once was but not quite for the same reason. Fence rows, pastures, and other fields have been allowed to grow up. That provides cover. A lot more people are living in the country, anything from a golf course housing development to trailer parks. These people have more dogs that are not controlled or trained for country life so they are more of a threat. Whether in suburbia or in these country developments coyotes, raccoons, and other critters have the perfect environment to thrive. To live in urban areas all they need is a park with trees or a streambed with growth on the sides. There are people that feed them and make the problems worse but garbage cans and people’s trash provide plenty of food and there is almost no predator threat to them. I forget how many coyotes live in the city limits or Chicago, maybe 2000? Did anyone else see that report? People have created the perfect environment for these critters. Coyotes have spread to a lot of areas new to them because people are creating the environment for them to thrive.

Chickens are prey animals. Lots of things eat them. It’s a hard life but some can manage, either in LaFreniere Park in Metairie Louisiana or out in the country. A lot don’t make it though.

Ok, thankyou for the information. Wouldn't want to steal someones chickens.

 

[EilighsFarm]

Does anyone know if you can eat Polish chickens?

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can eat any chicken of any sex or age. You just have to cook them using an appropriate technique. The older they are the slower they need to be cooked and the more moisture you need to add.

Some chickens may not have much meat on them, but some people raise quail for meat. Not a lot of meat on one of those.

In China, Silkies with their black skin and purplish colored meat are considered a delicacy. Many people here not used to that would not like the appearance, but there is nothing unhealthy about eating Silkies or any other breed of chicken, just personal preference.

You can eat Polish chickens if you want to.

 

[somedayfarms]

TASTES LIKE CHICKEN!!!! ....lol sorry I had to