Dead Meat Bird Okay to Eat?

[CPrendie]

It was hot today, while I was at work the birds knocked over their water, and I'm assuming one of my meat birds died from heat exhaustion. She was still warm when I found her so I butchered her. However, some of the breast meat looked white, like it was half cooked. The breasts are mostly red, but spots of white, the cutlets are white straight through. Is it okay to eat? Or, not worth playing bacteria roulette for $10 worth of chicken meat?

 

[trifecta]

I would not eat the bird. Bacteria migrates across the intestine very quickly in a dead animal, hence the need to kill and dress the bird quickly to prevent contamination.

If it was that hot out, she could have been dead for some time and the carcass could still be fairly warm.

 

[bigredfeather]

Agreed.
I live by the rule if I don't kill it, I don't eat it.

 

[RulerOfTheSkies]

No, NEVER eat something you dont know how long its been dead. Anyways, it wont taste very good

 

[ESofVA]

It would totally depend on how long it had been dead. If not too long the meat would be fine and taste just the sme. Some states even send roadkill deer to soup kitchens. VA does.

 

[CPrendie]

My better judgement says to toss it. Which I'm going to do. Rigimortis hadn't set in yet, so that's why I debated eating it, I don't think it was dead long. But, the meat turning white in the breast seemed to imply that it had been heated and it looked "cooked". The additional heat would only promote bacteria growth. Thanks for chiming in! It's not worth it.

 

[ESofVA]

The white was due to blood loss in that area. Less than rigor mortis would be ok.
BTW...I processed a pullet last week that I took away from a hawk next to my pen!!