Can you feed predators to your chickens?

colebarnhart

Songster
8 Years
Mar 24, 2011
776
10
121
JENKS/GLENPOOL, OKLAHOMA
I'm always reading about people wondering what treats are ok to feed and I've read that chickens are close to vultures on the aviarain(sp?) scale, not sure if that is true or not. But anyway, I caught a couple of mice I found hiding under some boards outside and I stepped on them yesterday and threw them into the run and the flock went to town, just like any other cricket or bug I give them. So I was wondering about larger predators. When I was in my trapping phase, I just shot, killed, and threw away.

So my question is couldn't I have just thrown the possium, raccoon, or etc in for my chickens to eat?
 
Some people say they collect road kill to feed their chickens. Basically, yes they will eat meat. You can give them the dead animals. It's best to open them up so they can get to the good stuff, and it depends on how many chickens you have as to how much they can consume.

I think mine actually like frogs better than mice. But you can consider them feathered velociraptors. If it doesn't eat them, they will eat it.
 
Thanks, yeah I just had one of those Duh!!! type moments and not sure why I wasted all that good protein and it would've been a better revenge than just throwing them into the trash can.

Any problems if the animal has rabbies or anything?
 
If the predator is a well kept neighbor animal then yes. However you want to avoid opportunities for any domestic livestock to gain any kind of parasite trichinella, ticks, fleas, or microbial infections that are not normal to your livestock. Yes they can adapt to it like a wild bird. However do you want your children collecting eggs from a nest that has ticks. Not to mention that egg production decreases when a bird has a parasite. All of our nests contain a little poop and some of that poop gets on the eggs. When you crack open an egg, some of the egg slides down the outside of the shell. Do not risk it, keep your chickens domestic.

Concerning Vultures, they have a naked head for a reason; it is to prevent microbial problems from developing on the head. Most chickens do not have a bald head adapted for carcass feeding.

However when I took food micro in college we were told that even we can eat parasite infested animals if we freeze them first. For how long I forgot, 3 weeks, 3 months. I just know that the answer had a three in it.
 
Good points, thanks. I've always wondered why certain things become bad and why things are still edible. I've eaten at some really highend steak houses and the most expensive steaks are the ones they have out behind glass covered with mold and people buy that crap and eat it.... without harm?!?!?! Even the stuff we buy has been aged a certain amount and is decomposing which makes it more tender. But if something is frozen, microwaved, baked, fried, etc why doesn't that kill most every micro org that may be on the meat, I don't get it?

I remember watching a show on discovery where an eskimo woman would bury fish heads for quite awhile and then dig them up and eat them. But I think the state of Alaska has or is trying to ban the practice because if you don't do it the correct way then you can die from it. Anyway, I don't take chances myself, but just curious about it. Thanks again.
 

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