GRAPHIC PICS of my day learning to caponize

[shortgrass]

I'm stunned...on many levels.  When you say"harvest the meat"...do you mean to eat it?

I agree...2 questions,
1. wouldn't processing a bird with Marek's around live birds transmit it even more?

And 2, is it really good to eat a diseased bird? I personally wouldn't, but it could just be my preference, IDK ?

 

[QueenMisha]

I'm stunned...on many levels. When you say"harvest the meat"...do you mean to eat it?

Absolutely. My flock has carried Marek's for several years now, since I chose to bred for resistance rather than cull and start over - due to the virus' extreme longevity in the soil, I found the risk of being reinfected to make the process of culling many hundreds of dollars worth of stock to be unworth it, to say the least. I regularly eat the meat and eggs of both birds who showed symptoms and those who did not, with no ill effects - the virus is no zoonotic and poses no threat to humans. The only side effect on production is the weight loss of some birds who are badly afflicted, but even if there is no meat on the outer body, the organs are still usually quite good. This particular cockerel had a wonderful, very healthy-looking liver and heart. And he wasn't too badly effected by weight loss either - I would estimate I gained 3/4 or perhaps even 1 entire pound of meat from him - his legs and breast aren't huge by any means but once rested will make a great midday snack.

 

[QueenMisha]

I agree...2 questions,
1. wouldn't processing a bird with Marek's around live birds transmit it even more?

And 2, is it really good to eat a diseased bird? I personally wouldn't, but it could just be my preference, IDK ?

My entire flock is infected, as is the entire property. The virus is scattered far and wide over my coop, run, surrounding acreage, and certainly inside the house as well. Butchering the birds nearby has no effect on the levels of virus found in and around my birds, as they are already as infected as they can be.

Unless a disease is zoonotic or has a bad effect on the meat or eggs, birds remain completely edible. I have been eating my birds for as many years as my flock has been infected, with no ill effects, and there is no reason to suspect any issues will arise, as Marek's poses no threat to humans.

 

[Kassaundra]

Besides the virus not being "passable" to humans, all chicken is cooked well and not served rare so any virus load would be killed. (and virus seldom if ever live in the muscle meat, but in blood and organs.

 

[hellbender]

Ok...I guess folks in 3'rd World countries do eat worse but there is the very real prospect that the bird was going down with something other than your diagnoses.

Around here, in a not-so-wealthy state, when a 3 year old, 12 to 14 hundred pound bull is found dead in the field, even if there evidence of a felony...it is buried or in the case of being shot, it might go into animal feed.

I'm through.

 

[QueenMisha]

Ok...I guess folks in 3'rd World countries do eat worse but there is the very real prospect that the bird was going down with something other than your diagnoses.

Around here, in a not-so-wealthy state, when a 3 year old, 12 to 14 hundred pound bull is found dead in the field, even if there evidence of a felony...it is buried or in the case of being shot, it might go into animal feed.

I'm through.

Well, I know a bird coming down with Marek's when I see one. The signs were classic - stumbling, wing dragging, incoordination, twisted neck, weight loss while eating well. I have seen these symptoms in many, many birds before him. I have come to know the strain which my flock carries quite well, and am familiar with it's typical path of destruction.

 

[shortgrass]

Ok...I guess folks in 3'rd World countries do eat worse but there is the very real prospect that the bird was going down with something other than your diagnoses.  

Around here, in a not-so-wealthy state, when a 3 year old, 12 to 14 hundred pound bull is found dead in the field, even if there evidence of a felony...it is buried or in the case of being shot, it might go into animal feed. 

I'm through.

Absolutely x2. Things like THAT go in the burn pit.

Of course, I have an organic, closed herd. Culling for diseases like that is our practice here. And yes, we WOULD cull our entire herd of 120 Red Angus if they came down with, mad cow, for instance... But that's exactly why it's "closed herd", so we don't get communicable disease from infected livestock being brought in...

Im not bothered by eating the meat after cooking, more rather trying to understand the logic of infectious disease not being better controlled is all.

Thanks for the explanation.

 

[Neuport]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/the-great-big-giant-mareks-disease-faq

 

[Poco Pollo]

For those who ordered tools: I received a box late yesterday. I will sort and pack for shipment to you today. I won't know the shipping cost until everything's repacked.

 

[QueenMisha]

Well guys... I did it! 2/3 roosters done so far, and I'm taking a break before doing the third. I think it's been as traumatizing for me as it has been for them!

I spent the last 2 days starving 3 of my young cockerels, around 10 weeks old... 1 EE mutt, 1 True Ameraucana cross, and some kind of Wyandotte Cross. No food since yesterday morning, and no water since last night. Today, I brought them down to the house. Before I did any cutting, I iced the area for 10-20 minutes, and applied a topical analgesic gel made from peppermint/spearmint extract, designed for horses. I also made a mixture of gatorade/chick feed/duramycin antibiotic powder, and tubefed each roo about 1/4 of a crop full of the mixture right before the surgery, so that they can bounce back as quickly as possible.

I did the EE mutt first... it went OK. There was a LOT more blood than I was expecting, and more than I've seen in most pictures/videos of the process... that was pretty scary! The first bunch of blood was when I made the cut... cutting the skin was easy, but then I couldn't find the rib below! Finally, after a couple of accidental cuts (sorry buddy...) I got into the body cavity. Through the thin membrane, and I could see the first teste. That broke before coming out... I think I got all of it, I couldn't see any left. Then I was trying to break through the second membrane to get to the other teste, when suddenly blood everywhere... I was absolutely sure I had accidentally hit the artery that everybody talks about... it looked like the body cavity was filled with blood! However, about 5 minutes later... he's still not dead. I take a cotton swab, and use the forceps to dab away the blood inside the body... there was a lot of it, but he definitely didn't bleed out! I go fishing for the other teste... find it pretty quickly... get it out, although it also broke into a couple pieces. I pulled out all the surgical instruments, applied some more mint analgesic and some neosporin, and set him outside in a cage with food and some duramycin-treated water. He is doing quite well, up and walking, and besides a little blood on his feathers, looks great!

Then I did the True Ameraucana cross... my second time was easier already! Took me maybe 1/2 the time. There was a lot less blood on the initial incision, not sure why. I also didn't encounter the same issue with internally bleeding, thankfully. The testes broke once again, but I'm rather sure I got all of them. The wound closed better too... I think I pulled the skin further this time, so it covered the incision more completely when it was released. He did quite well... the worst he struggled was when I was icing him, he did NOT like that. But he's also up and around, and seems to be doing quite well! I placed him in the cage with the other cockerel... or capon I should say!

Still one more roo to do... the little Wyandotte cross. I'm waiting for my ice to refreeze, then I'm going to do him... and done for the day! Thankfully, this was not a particularly pleasant experience. I was expecting to be prepared, given how many birds I've butchered in the past... blood is not something that scares me... I've done medical proceedings on birds too, like super glue "stitching", cleaning wounds, etc... but this was something else entirely... it's very different to be the one causing the injury... even if it is good in the long run.

I have many other cockerels who need this performed on them, but I'm kinda glad that I'm gonna be busy at work all this week... I need a good long rest after this. I'm exhausted already and I still have 1 more bird to go!