feeding deer innards?

[ScoobyRoo]

barred rock, I think you misunderstood me. I was asking about the lead (metal) itself not the bullet. My husband makes good shots but the kids are still learning. I was questioning about the lead traveling through the body once the shot is made. Even if the bullet passes through the animal there wouldn't be any lead left behind, will there? Is it really that dangerous for the chickens in that small amount? Just wanting to know before I give handouts to them.

 

[antlers]

Henry'schickens :

barred rock, I think you misunderstood me. I was asking about the lead (metal) itself not the bullet. My husband makes good shots but the kids are still learning. I was questioning about the lead traveling through the body once the shot is made. Even if the bullet passes through the animal there wouldn't be any lead left behind, will there? Is it really that dangerous for the chickens in that small amount? Just wanting to know before I give handouts to them.

I cant answer our question about how far lead goes in the body from a shot wound. Depends on bullet design, how many bones it hits, etc. Many bullets are designed to mushroom or fragment on impact. Ballistic tips are likely the worst for this.
I CAN tell you that Minnesota and North Dakota have just done a study on lead in carcuses this summer. THey ex-ray'd dead sheep that had been shot with different hunting bullets. THere was lead much further in the animal than the visible wound area. They even pulled Venison off the food shelves for awhile till they taught processors how to avoid the areas. I hunt a lot myself. I try for head or neck shots so I can easily get rid of anything that might have lead in it.
How much would it take? Beats me. Must be some duck studies that say 1 or 2 or 500 pellets is what it takes to kill a bird.
All I was saying up front is it is not a slam dunk to feed them deer parts and I would not because of the risk. Thats just me.​

 

[chickenchickenbulkbulk]

I found half of my flock eating the meat off of the deer ribs. They seem to really enjoy it!

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

I'm unsure how closely this could relate, but ingesting lead from gut piles and shot game that gets away and dies without being found by the hunter has killed some of the reintroduced California Condors.

 

[ScoobyRoo]

Antlers, I'm leaning towards your opinion on not feeding the possible tainted meat from the lead. DH makes good kills, but like I said earlier, my kids are still learning and trying to make a good kill too. Fortunately, we take a lot of animals by bow so that is in our favor. Or should I say the chickens favor

 

[spatcher]

As long as the deer was'nt imported from China, you should all be fine!

 

[bills]

There are many things besides liver flukes that a deer can have, that "may" not be good for hens, and especially dogs.

Heart worm is a common parasite that deer/moose may have in them. They aren't affected by it, but they are hosts that can carry it. Unless you have your dog immunized against it, I would never feed raw venison to them. I don't know how, or if, they would affect chickens.

A couple of other things to think about..

http://instruction.cvhs.okstate.edu/kocan/vpar5333/deerpar.htm

http://mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mammals/deer/disease.htm

http://www.huntingnet.com/staticpages/staticpage_detail.aspx?id=58

I think it's a personal thing, but if I was going to give chickens meat of any kind, I would only serve chickens well cooked meat. Many of the problems they are having with disease's that may affect humans, such as mad cow disease, is now thought to be from feeding animals, other animal by-product feeds.

 

[antlers]

Quote:
Exactly. I am not saying do not do it. I am simply trying to point out a possible risk. After all, this started with is it safe to feed...
To each their own.

OK I will get off this soap box.

 

[EliteTempleton]

I agree, I think I would only feed them cooked meat, but this thread seems to have moved toward talking about scrap meat, hearts, livers, and ribs. What about stomachs, intestines, etc? The gut pile that usually gets left in the field, what about that? Let's say its a lead free gut pile, just for the sake of the conversation.

Quote:
Raw?

Henry'schickens :

barred rock, I think you misunderstood me. I was asking about the lead (metal) itself not the bullet. My husband makes good shots but the kids are still learning. I was questioning about the lead traveling through the body once the shot is made. Even if the bullet passes through the animal there wouldn't be any lead left behind, will there? Is it really that dangerous for the chickens in that small amount? Just wanting to know before I give handouts to them.

Yes, there will be residue left behind, that's why hunters don't eat the clotted area's etc.

No idea how much lead it would take to kill them, but I wonder if it would get passed to their eggs?

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[chica-z]

Thanks for all the great thoughts guys...at least now I have something to tell hubby so we can maybe make an informed decision.