Help! Hen died today...safe to eat?

[Robin'sBrood]

Quote:
I wouldn't.

Any chicken I eat that doesn't come from the store, I'm going to watch bleed out!

Anything else (for me at least) would be like eating road kill.

Don't worry, I'm not planning on eating any of my birds, period.

 

[cwhit590]

Thanks for the replies.

I guess I will get rid of the meat in the morning!

On the positive side...At least I am more familiar with chicken anatomy now and the next time I process should go more smoothly...

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

All was not lost - it was good learning experience for you.

I did the same thing once - I lost one of my broilers - it was either a heart attack or a smother type crowding death and when I found it, I immediately took it to my Amish lady - they slit the feathers by the bottom of the breast bone and skinned it. The breast meat, which should have been a peachy-white color was literally beet red - the Amish lady said she would not recommend eating it so their doggies got a treat!

 

[Chicken Rustler]

My theroy (sp?) for what it's worth. Kill what you eat, eat what you kill.
NO WAY would I take a chance with that meat. Not knowing the cause or how long it had been there.

 

[cwhit590]

We won't be eating the meat...don't want to risk it like you guys said!

Hens and Chicks - the meat looked pretty normal to me - I skinned her and it was light pink, like the chicken you get from the store. But when I cut into the body cavity to get the guts out a bunch of coagulated and fairly fresh blood came out, like it had been floating around the cavity...is that normal? Would that indicate a heart attack or something? I wish I had more time to do a more thorough necropsy to determine cause of death, but things were kinda crazy last night.

 

[Hens_And_Chicks]

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I don't know if it would have been a heart attack - it sounds like a rupture of some kind that caused internal bleeding. I am not a vet and do not pretend to be one here on BYC

What would cause the most concern to me about processing an already dead bird is not knowing the time or cause of death - my personal opinion is that the quality of the meat is too compromised to risk - the micro-organisms for bacterial decomposition make the meat banned - the USDA inspectors would never allow an already dead animal to be processed into the human food grade.

My grandpa (long long ago) shipped a beef and a hog to the processor on the same truck - the cow kicked the hog and caused such horrible bruising to the pig that the inspector failed the carcass and the entire hog was lost.

 

[sundance]

I would not eat it nor even feed it to my animals.Bury it deep and cover with rocks. If possible. let the others free range and spray coop down with some disinfectant. you never know what or where it came from , but sorry for your loss. marrie

 

[ThreeGlovers]

I don't know if it would have been a heart attack - it sounds like a rupture of some kind that caused internal bleeding. I am not a vet and do not pretend to be one here on BYC

But have you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express?????

Sorry couldn't pass that one up. LOL

Bo​

 

[Snow]

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I don't see anything wrong with road kill, usually get a deer or two a year that way. I know what killed it, not disease, and only pick them up very fresh. No reason to let that go to waste.