Safe Eggs?

[Stonerowfarm]

I have had a sporadic problem with rats getting into the coop at night. Yesterday I noticed a fair amount of blood near one of the holes going back into the barn. Since none of the hens were injured, I'm assuming that they attacked a rat who chose the wrong time to go into the coop. Since there was so much blood around it definitely looked like the seriously injured him (Yeah chickens!)

So, not to sound stupid, but are their eggs alright or should I toss them for a few days.

 

[asher]

Do you mean in terms of possibly ingesting the blood from the possible rat?

 

[fordmommy]

If they ate the rat, it would be good protien. Don't toss the eggs. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them. I give my girls snakes too. Those are fun toys for them.

Eat the eggs!

 

[Stonerowfarm]

I don't think the girls ate the rat since there was nothing around the coop. I was just worried about disease carrying blood borne illness. I know it sounds a bit paranoid, but .......

Thanks for the responses.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I feed mine mice when I catch them. Does not stop me from eating the eggs.

I think most blood born diseases are pretty host specific. Also, I'd expect most pathogens to die pretty quickly once the blood dried out and cooled off. I would not play in the blood but would not be worried about it either.

 

[rhodiegal]

You could just throw the eggs out for a week or so just in case (if anything just to make you feel better). If you are like me, it will not matter what anyone says, if there is no 'scientific evidence' and some kind of professionally written report about it, I will not have enough guts to eat them! Drives me crazy!

 

[dovecanyon]

You can eat them. If free-ranged, you chickens can eat a lot worse things than rats! Eggs will be fine.