chicken died last night, can I eat her now?

[linzanimals]

Hey sadly my hen died due to an impacted crop last night or somewhere in the night! I didn't find her until 3 this afternoon, body cold. She's in the fridge now....is it okay to cook her? I don't wanna waste her life if I don't have too!! What would you do?

 

[cw]

i would dress her and see what her inards look like look for the usual? what do you think killed her? are you gonna eat right a way, or stick in deep freeze? im sorry just re read impacted crop? Id eat her? unless she has been above 50 degrees for longer then 2 hrs

 

[junebug7334]

I wouldn't but then I'm a nurse and always on the "lookout" for some other disease. Give her a proper burial and don't do it.

 

[Snakeoil]

I personally wouldn't either, my mind would be telling all sorts of things.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

LOVE the avatar.

When I had a meat bird die, I did not eat her. JMHO.

 

[jaku]

I wouldn't eat anything that died of natural causes.

 

[al6517]

The rule of thumb is never eat the meat from an animal you did not
see killed, by now her tissue is still full of blood and what not, and she will not be very good, plus the health factor. No don't process her.

 

[jvls1942]

I definately would not eat it..
too many IF's..
I never eat anything that dies on it's own.. I do not even butcher cripled or deformed birds.. I have so many healthy ones to choose from..

 

[Skip]

Eating isn't the only option for a found-dead bird.

If you're pretty darn sure what she died of, you could eat her. But it might not be the best meat, or the healthiest for you. Especially since she just died and wasn't butchered properly to begin with. The bird would be tough.

You could always chop the whole bird into pieces, grill them until well done and feed them to your pet (if you have one). I would recommend this done on an indoor pet only, so it won't get any ideas with your still-healthy chickens.

If you don't want to risk giving your pets a taste for chicken, put her on the compost pile (if you have one. If you don't, start one! It's a nice thing to have.) She'll decompose, and her nutrients will be returned to the earth to fuel the growth of bugs, that will feed your chickens!

 

[Elise Lefort]

Same for me, my hen had been acting lethargic, last night it was cold outside, then this morning i found her dead in the coop. Still 45° outside. She's in rigor mortis. I'm wondering if i should skin her & freeze the meat, or give her a natural burial.