Green Meat? Who knew

[jenifry]

[/IMG]

I hope it works to upload pics from my phone. I was grossed out and threw out an entire of my home grown prizes before researching. Green in the tenderloin along the breast bone is actually common in roasters, and the unaffected meat is still good. Eew.

The rest of the meat was nice and pretty

This link has good info...

http://www.wattagnet.com/21558.html

 

[LilRedRoo]

That looks pretty gross...I'd have tossed it regardless and let the critters have it.

 

[bobbi-j]

We've butchered many a chicken and have never seen anything like that! I wouldn't eat it.

 

[jenifry]

We didn't eat it either. I learned quite a bit researching it, and Cornish Cross and turkeys seem to be the only birds that it happens to. The rapid rate of growth in the breast meat can essentially strangle the tenders... and when the blood supply is gone (Either from atrophy in caged birds, or bursting from inability to support the level of activity of their wings in free range) the tender essentially dies, and then proceeds to turn green. It freaked me out. I had NEVER heard of it before, but I guess it's becoming quite common in genetically altered birds made to produce meat quickly on a body that can't support it.

 

[oldrooster]

I've heard green eggs and ham but not this! lol

 

[RoostersCrow HensDeliver!]

It's called Deep Pectoral Myopathy or green muscle disease. It is quite common in broilers, especially males 6 weeks and older. The inner breast muscle's blood supply is reduced and that portion dies and becomes necrotic. Intense exercising of the wings will cause it, the larger the breast the more likely an injury will be sustained. My first experience with it was my last batch of CornishX that had been allowed access to a single stack of straw bales to jump off of and "fly". Out of 29 birds (st run) , 3 birds had DPM. I have never had any issues with my pastured broilers, these birds were unfortunately confined due to weather conditions in the late fall/early winter. I will only have pastured birds from now on, I had no issues with the other 120 pastured birds I raised this summer.