Could (or should) i feed deceased predators to my chickens?

[centrarchid]

I have yet to see evidence of botulism in my chickens eating the maggots / pupae. Feeding with maggots has been purposeful for last couple of months but the chickens have gotten on and off access to such eats for far longer.

 

[centrarchid]

I was just watching some juvenile Game Chickens gleaning a Raccoon carcass. They were cherry picking larger maggots leaving the rest alone. Many more maggots are under the carcass where it contacts the ground. In a day or so the carcass will be rolled over so the chicks can more easily find the pupae. Their will be small hole after the birds scratch up what they can find. Nice part about this time of year is the carrion beetles are largely done so they are not stealing what I want chickens to have.

 

[slordaz]

Was just reading up on Avian Botulism at USGS and Wikipedia according to USGS it is primarily a Hawaiian thing. Birds eating fish and filter feeders concentrate the bacterium hosting botulism then die and their maggots then concentrate the toxin and kill birds eating those maggots. So.... really not a thing here in a non aquatic/wetland environment in the lower 48, but it still is something new to me and I am no subject matter expert after reviewing two sources online.

Don't use wikipedia as a resource , it's not allowed in college papers due to a lot of inaccuracies.

 

[Folly's place]

It's about risk management, and your level of risk tolerance, and bitter experiences.
I'm careful, and not willing to deal with this problem. If they find something out there, that's one thing. But to set up rotting carcasses on purpose, no way!
And I have seen botulism, and it's not pretty.
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

I have a lot of chickens over a good many years. Experience must count for something.

 

[slordaz]

I have a lot of chickens over a good many years. Experience must count for something.

it's your prerogative if you want to chance it, I personally don't take chances with my flock. Your now aware of the risk, and just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it wont. I got hold of some darkling beetles that are in a container where other things can't get in and takes a bit as they only life for about 2 months but lay about 500 eggs each that turn into your meal worms. It isn't that expensive just need to put bedding and scraps from meal prep or vegetables that are to over ripe they love and you know they are clean , they get their water from what you feed them.

 

[Folly's place]

I want to add that the actual incidence of food poisoning, including botulism, is actually unknown in humans, much less in animals, especially those who aren't taken for medical care or post mortem exams.
Only individuals actually examined and tested are included in any data base, anywhere.
Backyard chickens who die, or show weakness for any reason, are so very rarely diagnosed for sure with whatever is actually wrong...
Mary

 

[centrarchid]

What do we say when no health issues are evident.

 

[Criticalicious]

I have to wonder why you're dispatching enough predators to ask this question. Perhaps look into electric fencing around your coop and run area, if it's feasible, to avoid having ground predators to worry about. Just a thought.

 

[centrarchid]

I have to wonder why you're dispatching enough predators to ask this question. Perhaps look into electric fencing around your coop and run area, if it's feasible, to avoid having ground predators to worry about. Just a thought.

If you have chickens over many years you will find they challenge and sometimes defeat fencing. I have electrified fencing and pens within that fencing, plus use dogs. For chicken health reasons it can also pay to keep the birds in multiple pens that are spread out. Time and being spread out present predators with more opportunities to challenging fencing and other housing components putting birds at heightened risk. Additionally, the critters like raccoons will invest a great deal of effort into going for feed.

If you have a flock in a single hardened structure it is easier to keep predators out without resorting to killing predators. Not everyone keeps birds for purposes that are adaptable to such keeping.