Animalfisherwoman
Songster
- Aug 11, 2018
- 351
- 668
- 198
My Barred Rock and Black Copper Marans hens got taken by predators this morning. My guess based on temperature is that this happened around 8-9 a.m. I walked out about noon and found feathers/skin from the Barred Rock but no bird. The Marans was decapitated with her skin peeled back over one breast.
As I hadn't processed a bird before, I processed her via plucking and skinning. I recovered gizzards and some immature eggs (about three times the size of a marble).
My questions:
1) What would you say the predator was? I am guessing hawk based on the decapped Marans, but do hawks typically take off with a 6 pound barred rock?
2) Is the processed carcass of the Marans safe to eat? (She was between 30-32 weeks old). If so, how long to let the carcass rest and how best to prepare it? I have heard the immature eggs are a delicacy; anyone heard of eating them or how to prepare them?
3) The Marans and the BR began laying within the last month, and since then have become more "squatty" and easier to catch than the others. The chickens run in my backyard, but I have a rain run. Should I confine "squatty" chickens to it?
Very sad for my first loss of two chickens...
As I hadn't processed a bird before, I processed her via plucking and skinning. I recovered gizzards and some immature eggs (about three times the size of a marble).
My questions:
1) What would you say the predator was? I am guessing hawk based on the decapped Marans, but do hawks typically take off with a 6 pound barred rock?
2) Is the processed carcass of the Marans safe to eat? (She was between 30-32 weeks old). If so, how long to let the carcass rest and how best to prepare it? I have heard the immature eggs are a delicacy; anyone heard of eating them or how to prepare them?
3) The Marans and the BR began laying within the last month, and since then have become more "squatty" and easier to catch than the others. The chickens run in my backyard, but I have a rain run. Should I confine "squatty" chickens to it?
Very sad for my first loss of two chickens...