Hawk killed chicken but I can't dress it until this evening???? Is this safe to wait 6 hours before scalding, plucking, and dealing with innards?

[Mariahead]

I cut the chickens head off and hung it upsidedown within about 2 hours of it being attacked (hawk is still hanging out). Not much blood came out. I have to leave for 4 hours and can't dress it now. It is currently placed upside down in the snow bank in 27F weather. Is it safe?

 

[Bonkerelli]

You could... but that is pushing it. Where the guts in tack? Since you said there was not much blood.. most likely still blood in the muscle. Because it is cold rigor mortis is setting in slowly but by the time you dress the chicken it will be in rigor mortis, plus frozen. I had family friends that ate an animal that was in rigor mortis when the butchered it.. they got REALLY sick.

 

[Folly's place]

Just don't do it! Is that sub-standard meat worth food poisoning?
Mary

 

[Banana01]

I have. There were times in the past I found an adult chicken dead in the morning, and it probably was dead six hours. Even with a stiff body, I wash it in the river and plucked them. Fresher is better, but I live in tropical weather too. Six hours in the snow is preserved to me.

 

[Mariahead]

Thanks for all of your input everyone!

Ya it wasn't in rigor mortis at all. The only thing attacked was the head. Most of the blood was at the scene of the crime.

Could one just immediately freeze it and come back to it later? Do people do this? Drain it, freeze it and then defeather later...? I was going to get two pots boiling since the water will have to deal with a frozen bird.

It seems most of you who are warning me not to are thinking that the blood is the issue. She was not frozen at all when I put her upside down. Still made a big mess when I took off the mangled head. The rest was in tact.

 

[Mariahead]

I have. There were times in the past I found an adult chicken dead in the morning, and it probably was dead six hours. Even with a stiff body, I wash it in the river and plucked them. Fresher is better, but I live in tropical weather too. Six hours in the snow is preserved to me.

Ya I am in NY with below freexing temps. My worry is not getting the gland off before it freezes and then dethawing it while I am scalding it and being able to get out all the other orgrans then too. Seems like I will need to de-thaw it to dress it.

 

[Bonkerelli]

Thanks for all of your input everyone!

Ya it wasn't in rigor mortis at all. The only thing attacked was the head. Most of the blood was at the scene of the crime.

Could one just immediately freeze it and come back to it later? Do people do this? Drain it, freeze it and then defeather later...? I was going to get two pots boiling since the water will have to deal with a frozen bird.

It seems most of you who are warning me not to are thinking that the blood is the issue. She was not frozen at all when I put her upside down. Still made a big mess when I took off the mangled head. The rest was in tact.

That is good that the damage was in the head and it seems like the blood is drained. The big issue is the guts. Longer you wait to butcher the more bacteria is in the system. I would at least gut it first before freezing it.

 

[Banana01]

I would have just gutted it and plucked it without scalding in that case. Yea it rips all the skin off too, but at least you can save the meat. What did you end up doing?

 

[cmom]

I'm curious too...

 

[neo71665]

I wouldn't wait that long on chicken but I got plenty of my animals that don't mind fresh chicken dinners.