We just processed our 4 month old flock or 14 turkeys and the folks processed them for us said that 3 of them had “bad livers” - sort of a greyish color. They all seemed very healthy - ranged in weight from 13-20lbs (the Toms got very big) and all were eating and drinking well and didn’t exhibit any signs of lethargy. The processing folks asked if we housed them with chickens, we did not, but at about 3 months of age, we expanded their indoor area to include a space that had held chickens about 6 weeks prior, but we had thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with vinegar solution prior to giving them access. They were fed exclusively organic feed, and spent most of their days out in their outside run, or in our orchard. They didn’t show any signs of illness, but perhaps were in the early stages of blackhead disease? One of the ones effected had a slight droop to her wings in the couple days before processing. My questions are: Has anyone had any experience with this and know what might be the cause? And is the meat still safe to eat? All our birds are spoken for and we have planned to keep 3 for our self… which means we have only these three that exhibited bad livers… can we eat the meat? If not, can we use it for dog food?
Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks.
Any guidance is appreciated. Thanks.
