Question about processing

[Marc33]

I am going to get my first batch of meat birds and was wondering what everyone does with the offal? I could dump it in our fencerows but do not want to invite the coyotes to the henhouse. Any suggestions would be great! Thanks

 

[ChrisnTiff]

We either feed it to the pigs if we have any on the ground, or we will bury it. You need to bury it at least a couple of feet or the coyotes will smell it and get to it. You can compost it but if you are having problems with coyotes they will probably dig it out of your compost. Good luck either way.

Chris

 

[adoptedbyachicken]

If you have anyone who is a trapper in your area they will thank you for the bait. I sometimes take mine way out into the bush on range to leave for the coyotes and ravens, or I put a bit in feed bags and take to the dump, although I know your not really alowed to take them to our near one if I read the whole billboard of rules at the gate.

 

[marathonhounds]

We bury ours in the back of the garden and then plow it into the rows in the spring. I cover it with soil and chicken wire until it decomposes, which is much faster than I would have suspected.

Best wishes,
Amy in Marathon, Ohio

 

[cresty]

I read something about composting blood. Didn't know that was possible. I thought you were supposed to keep all meat scraps, etc out of compost. Is that because of rodents, etc or because of bacteria? Can this compost be put on gardens that have food for human consumption????? Scary thought to me......

Cresty

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

All the compost books I've read say not to compost meat products. Not sure why, but it doesn't seem like a great idea to me.

We have a local animal museum that has birds of prey, skunks, coyotes, coons, etc. A neighbor took their really old hens there as a "donation". I wonder if those types of places would like to get your leftovers.

 

[Kitsune]

meat/blood can be composted but it has to be raw, cooking meat kills the natural enzymes that help to break it down. the only problem would be the smell attracting vermin but if you have compost bin that might not be too much of a problem.

I generally feed the majority of the offal to the dog, the intestines, gall bladder etc. I take to the dump if we're processing more than 5 or put on the compost of less than 5. I usually put a layer of sawdust or hay over it but I've never noticed a problem with the smell.

 

[bachbach1]

All the compost books I've read say not to compost meat products. Not sure why, but it doesn't seem like a great idea to me.

We have a local animal museum that has birds of prey, skunks, coyotes, coons, etc. A neighbor took their really old hens there as a "donation". I wonder if those types of places would like to get your leftovers.

If you compost meat raw or cooked it will decompose into a rich fertilizer. Meat will smell if it is in a pile you work with a rake, or in one of those drums you rotate. It should be burred for several months, then it will decompose without any additional effort. I would dig a hole or trench, and cover it well with dirt, the deeper the better if you have a lot of wild critters around. Basically any meat will decompose, it is just nature, raw, bloody, fried, boiled, meat all breaks down, placing it where it wont smell is the only trick.

 

[Plough]

Smell, maggots/flies, and drawing pests are the biggest concerns. I don't do vermiculture, but I think there's added issues if you do the worm thing. It can be done fairly easily in a normal; the above directions are perfect.

 

[collaire]

We process every week so we have quite a lot of offal. Essentially just the intestines since we sell everything else so there are no bones. We dig post holes as we need them with a 10" auger as deep as it will go and make a little compost pit. We soon have BSFs and other fly maggots turning these into compost. It takes a while to fill these hole because once these guys get going they reduce the volume very quickly. To keep out scavengers we just put a square of expanded metal over the top and add a cemet block. They are at the edge of our garden and deliberately left open to smell, because it completely deters the deer from feasting on our veggies. All of our fruit trees and grape vines are planted on the holes after the maggots get done.