OMG - I think my girls ate maggots!

austradork

In the Brooder
9 Years
Apr 12, 2010
95
8
41
Seattle
Yesterday I noticed my girls we're very interested in a particular patch of grass. When I walked over to investigate I found a dead rat with maggots crawling around its insides.
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I'm 90% sure that they were eating them. And I'm also 90% sure they were the ones who killed the rat (it looked like it had been gored by a beak). A few questions:

1) Are my girls at risk for eating a rat?

2) Can they get sick from eating maggots?

3) Is there any reason I should not eat their eggs for a while? I'm paranoid that somehow I will find maggots in the eggs (I know, I know, my boyfriend insists that maggots are not parasites so it simply isn't possible, but STILL!)
 

Knock Kneed Hen

California Dream'in Chickens
9 Years
Feb 15, 2010
4,154
96
278
So. Cal.
Maggots are a great source of protein and birds love them because they are soft bodied & squishy. I wish there was a clean way to get them though. Having them eat from a rotting carcass is....well...yucky.
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bobby d

Songster
9 Years
Mar 10, 2010
161
1
109
Texas
Yucky!! My girls ate maggots one time as well and nothing happend to them so they should be just fine. Ugh..it's just sooo gross!!
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austradork

In the Brooder
9 Years
Apr 12, 2010
95
8
41
Seattle
Okay, I feel much better. Thanks guys. Kasey08, good point about maggots turning into flies! I'm just going to pretend my chickens ate flies. So much less gag-inducing.

Imp, do you know if a chicken with botulism produces botulism-infected eggs?
 

Tropical Chook

Songster
9 Years
Jul 5, 2010
283
10
101
You birds will be fine. Some people on here actually make contraptions that hold rotting food that attracts flies so that they have a constant supply of maggots for their birds. If you do a search, I'm sure you'll find something of interest.
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