Do you feed raw meat to chickens

[Chicken_tiger_catt]

This is why I like getting others thoughts on something that seems like a no-brainer. I never would've thought of this.

well, it's not something I would have thought of either. I learned from experience. basically, my first flock was mostly hatchery quality RIR. the oldest hen (an Americana that I had gotten from my grandma when she moved out of town) ended up dying. the chicken probably died of old age, but the RIR ate her. then they started tearing pieces of flesh off a pair of slower moving broiler birds we were keeping them with..................... ended up culling the entire flock, bc the RIR were terrifying, and the meat birds had necrotic open wounds from where they'd been bitten by the RIR.

 

[redinator]

well, it's not something I would have thought of either. I learned from experience. basically, my first flock was mostly hatchery quality RIR. the oldest hen (an Americana that I had gotten from my grandma when she moved out of town) ended up dying. the chicken probably died of old age, but the RIR ate her. then they started tearing pieces of flesh off a pair of slower moving broiler birds we were keeping them with..................... ended up culling the entire flock, bc the RIR were terrifying, and the meat birds had necrotic open wounds from where they'd been bitten by the RIR.

So sorry you went though that. I'll defiantly keep this in mind going forward.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

well, it's not something I would have thought of either. I learned from experience. basically, my first flock was mostly hatchery quality RIR. the oldest hen (an Americana that I had gotten from my grandma when she moved out of town) ended up dying. the chicken probably died of old age, but the RIR ate her. then they started tearing pieces of flesh off a pair of slower moving broiler birds we were keeping them with..................... ended up culling the entire flock, bc the RIR were terrifying, and the meat birds had necrotic open wounds from where they'd been bitten by the RIR.

I feel like this is a little different than throwing scraps out though. You wouldn't likley throw an entire carcass of a chicken out there for them to eat.
This could happen to any flock regardless if they have ever been fed chicken meat scraps.
I know chickens are smart, but i doubt they would put together that meat scraps were the same thing as their flock mates.

 

[Amer]

I would cook the meat as good practice just because chickens could get disease from other chickens.

 

[nuthatched]

... Not once did I see them wheel out a kitchen and fire up the BBQ to cook any of it.

That's because they prefer their contertop rotisserie.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Ironically all of that is probably safer than raw store-bought chicken. The processing and storage of store chicken grows a lot of dangerous bacteria

Not necessarily. Amphibians are notorious carriers of salmonella, mice carry E. coli in their gastrointestinal tracts and crayfish are known to transmit flukes.

 

[nuthatched]

Ironically all of that is probably safer than raw store-bought chicken. The processing and storage of store chicken grows a lot of dangerous bacteria

Not...really.

 

[K0k0shka]

I don't, because I don't want to start conflict in my coop. cannibalism can hurt chickens, because if the meat isn't cooked through, they could start to see the other birds as food. that said, I do feed them cooked chicken, just not raw.

That's not how it works. A lot of people spread the myth that you shouldn't feed animals raw meat (any animals) because it will make them turn on you (or on other animals) and start eating you/them. I've seen the same argument made about dogs. But whether an animal attacks another with the intent to eat it, isn't influenced by them getting unidentifiable cut up scraps of raw meat. Chickens will absolutely cannibalize each other at the first sign of blood, whether or not you've fed them shapeless, bloodless scraps of grocery store chicken. But that's because they are psychopaths that prey on the weakness of others (if they see an injured or sick member of their own flock), and are triggered by blood, not because of anything you fed them.

The main risk in feeding any of your animals raw meat is to you, via contamination - did you wash everything really well after handling and feeding the raw meat? Do you kiss your chickens? Do you wash your hands really well after handling your flock and tools, and before you put your hands on your face or handle food and kitchen items? Whatever bacteria might be in the meat, won't hurt your chickens, but can certainly hurt you if you aren't careful. With chickens, that's easier to do because there isn't a lot of direct contact between chickens and people, and because the flock lives separately from the humans. With dogs, it's different. I would never feed raw meat to my dog, because the dog will eat the meat and then come and lick me with that dirty mouth. Some people let their dogs lick them on the face, or on the mouth - with a mouth that just ate raw meat (or licked its butthole). No thanks.

 

[shawluvsbirds]

Chickens will absolutely cannibalize each other at the first sign of blood, whether or not you've fed them shapeless, bloodless scraps of grocery store chicken.

Much better said than my post That's what I wanted to say but couldn't find the words.

I let my dog lick me in the face. I live on the edge!

 

[FunClucks]

I feed my flock the discarded carcass of chickens we raised, cooked, and ate. No issues. What triggers the attack is seeing blood on other chickens, or if other birds are acting weak. Prevent those two triggers, and 90% of the time you won't have a problem. Not gonna ever say 100% because some chickens are just weird and wired differently.

Even then, if it's a minor wound like a pecking injury or a mating injury to someone's comb, a lot of time it won't be messed with. But an obvious bloody wound is a target.

They are tiny dinosaurs. They don't think like we do.