Compost dead chicken

[jmorriso]

Not sure where to post this, but I had a hawk get one of mine girls today. Can I bury whats left at the bottom of my compost pile, or is that a no no?

 

[centrarchid]

Great for bringing nitrogen of compost but bad for potentially attracting scent oriented predators.

 

[Tala]

Agree with the PP. They can be composted, but it might bring in scavenger type predators (possums especially)

I bury the pet birds near the coop and put a brick over it, but we don't have too bad of a pred problem in our yard - probably because of the dogs. I usually let the dogs snif the dead bird, they know the birds are family and they seem to understand death, the dogs have not dug up a chicken either.
Some of the roos that live out at my in-laws in the sticks that predators got, I left them laying out coz I couldn't retreive them due to the fire ants and I think possums took them by the next day.
I usually dump dead preds off the road near the sewage treatment plant (away from houses obviously) and scavengers usually take care of them too.

 

[jmorriso]

Thanks, I'm not worried about ground predators, I have a raised coop that locks up tight, so I'll go ahead and compost it. Maybe if I get it deep enough the smell will be minimal. When I process deer or chickens I usually toss the guts and bones in a ravine beside the house and it's always gone by the by the next day. I know i've got coons, cyotes and possums all around. I found a baby possum under my coop eating from the feeder a week ago. It was small enough to squeeze throu th chicken wire!

 

[33yardbirds]

After all the good service a hen has given me I couldn't just treat it like garbage. There is nothing wrong with composting it, me I would bury it. far back from the coop. But on the other hand I just drag or carry predators out back and just give 'em a heave. Funny how everyone's mind works in different.