Eating Guineafowl after accidentally breaking neck

[hysop]

Unfortunately, we were trying to catch our guineafowl to move them to another area. Yes, I know it would have been smarter to have done it at night, but our mistake. Anyway, one of the guineafowls broke its neck trying to get away.

my question is: can I eat this bird? If so, how long do I have to let the blood drain and dress it from the time it broke its neck?

If I can’t or shouldn’t eat this guineafowl then I’ll probably dress it and cook it for my dog.

Thank you for all and any advice!

 

[R2elk]

Unfortunately, we were trying to catch our guineafowl to move them to another area. Yes, I know it would have been smarter to have done it at night, but our mistake. Anyway, one of the guineafowls broke its neck trying to get away.

my question is: can I eat this bird? If so, how long do I have to let the blood drain and dress it from the time it broke its neck?

If I can’t or shouldn’t eat this guineafowl then I’ll probably dress it and cook it for my dog.

Thank you for all and any advice!

If I had a guinea fowl die from an accident, I would immediately begin processing it. The blood is not going to drain well because the blood stops flowing as soon as the heart stops beating. The sooner the guinea is plucked and dressed and cooled down, the better it will be. I normally shoot a guinea in the head, remove the head, allow to bleed out (usually stops bleeding within 2 minutes, scald, pluck, eviscerate and then cool in a bucket of cold, salted water. I soak it for approximately 8 hours and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days before cooking.

If you are going to fix it for the dog, you can cook it as soon as you have dressed it. Just make sure that what you give the dog does not in any way resemble an actual guinea. You don't want the dog to associate its meal with the guineas.

 

[Henry&Friends]

If it’s just a broken neck, I wouldn’t worry about eating it. Probably would worry about the meat being a little tougher since it was stressed out, but otherwise I would process like another bird.

 

[FortCluck]

Just process and let sit in the fridge for a few days. It might be tougher due to the stress it was in when it passed, but you can make it tender with the way you cook it.

I'm sorry for your loss.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

Unfortunately, we were trying to catch our guineafowl to move them to another area. Yes, I know it would have been smarter to have done it at night, but our mistake. Anyway, one of the guineafowls broke its neck trying to get away.

my question is: can I eat this bird? If so, how long do I have to let the blood drain and dress it from the time it broke its neck?

If I can’t or shouldn’t eat this guineafowl then I’ll probably dress it and cook it for my dog.

Thank you for all and any advice!

Wow, so sorry to hear that! Trying to catch our guineas day or night seems stressful all the way around! I was rehoming some 4 mo olds last year, so decided to grab them off of the roosts. The whole flock freaked out and they flew everywhere in the coop and run, with two hanging themselves on different parts of the fencing. I was able to quickly free them and they were sore, but recovered. I guess that I’m lucky that they didn’t break their necks!

I recently lost another 4 mo old to a dog attack, and I did process him for my sister, who’s been wanting to try guinea. He’s still in the freezer, so I don’t know how he turned out. Sorry again about your accidental loss!

 

[hysop]

Thank you for all this advice!

It had some blood clots so I decided to just dress it for the dog. It was a good experience since I had never dressed a guinea. I will be shredding the meat and removing it from the bone once it’s done.

@R2elk — I had a question about soaking the guinea in salt water. Why do you do that? Never heard of that before. Will definitely be saving this information.

 

[R2elk]

Thank you for all this advice!

It had some blood clots so I decided to just dress it for the dog. It was a good experience since I had never dressed a guinea. I will be shredding the meat and removing it from the bone once it’s done.

@R2elk — I had a question about soaking the guinea in salt water. Why do you do that? Never heard of that before. Will definitely be saving this information.

The main reason is because it is what I learned to do while growing up. It can draw blood out. The cold water quickly draws the heat out of the body.

 

[wyoDreamer]

My Dad soaked the grouse, squirrel and rabbit in salt water after cleaning. Probably for the same reason - to pull out more of the blood. I think it gets rid of some of the gamey taste - which is probably because shot game does not bleed out as well as when something is butchered.