Newbie here with sad question

[Careylee]

My dogs got out of the kennel and attacked our 5 month old chickens...they had just started laying....they killed three before we got them away. Kids sad, I am sad, dh upset, but says we now have dinner tonight. Is it okay to eat them? I know that sounds horrid, but we did collect them as soon as they were dead.... Help

 

[CMV]

I wish you were here under better circumstances. It is fine to eat them. Very thrifty, in fact. Sorry about your losses. Time for an electric fence or a one-way trip to the pound for the dogs.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Sorry about your chickens. And it's not horrid.

I think it would be OK to eat them, as long as your dog is healthy, you clean them thoroughly, and cook them thoroughly. If it was a strange dog I'd say "No".

Imp

ETA Welcome to BYC

 

[eenie114]

First and foremost:

I'm sorry about your chickie babies.

g I guess it's OK to eat them.. I'd never be able to do it, but I guess i you wah them reallywell...

Sucks that this is your 1st post

 

[Careylee]

Thanks for the welcome and the advice! One of the kids fessed up and said they forgot to lock the kennel.....I guess it is part of raising chickens.

 

[bobbi-j]

Quote:


That seems a bit harsh. It's not the dogs' fault that the kennel was not locked. They were just doing what dogs do. One of life's hard lessons. Yes, it is part of raising chickens. I feel bad for the kid that forgot to lock the kennel.

 

[MistyValley]

I still what I consider newbie too, and I've read it's best to let the birds rest in the fridge for a couple of days before cooking. Just thought I would throw that out there.

 

[moetrout]

I would eat them. Think of it like this. If I go out hunting pheasant with a dog, shoot a bird and the dog retrieves it. Now some dogs have real soft mouths, but none of the ones I've ever hunted with. They all gave them a little chewin! You learned a lesson....well maybe your kids learned a lesson. No sense is wasting a meal and ultimately the life of a chicken you cared for over the last 5 months. It may sound weird but respect the life of that chicken and eat it, then it wasn't all for nothing. Also if you do decide to eat it, then maybe you will get another lesson in there.....how to clean and cook a chicken. You'll do no worse than any first time hunter, although maybe the DH already knows how to do this? Enjoy the dinner!

 

[turtlebird]

I wouldn't let the birds age in the fridge if they have any puncture wounds from the dog. A puncture is very difficult to clean, and a wonderful environment for some nasty anaerobic bacteria to grow. That said, your birds may be a little tough. I have heard that extreme fright toughens up animals. Arrrgh, what an awful experience for you and your family. So very sorry

btw,

 

[BackToMyRoots]

I would say go ahead and cook them if you can. I'm sorry this happened to you and your family!

I hate to say it, but I agree with bobbi-j: now that the doggies have experienced the hunt/chase/kill cycle, they will want to do it again. They might wait for a repeat of the gate error, suddenly push past a child or a teen opening the gate, or do something else that's totally out of character, but they'll do it.

With that in mind, the electric fence might be a good idea, and so would anything else that would add an extra barrier between them and the chicks. Is there any way to further enclose the kennel or coop? I've also heard that special "leave it" training can provide more protection for the birds, but I'm not sure how that works.

Edited because I didn't think of the contamination issue from the dogs' mouths. Good point!