Uh Oh, One of Mine Looks Like It's Dying Of Heart Trouble!!!

[WVDan44]

Mine are now 5 wks old. They spend the day outside basking in the sunshine and scrounging around. I had to shoo them inside after dark because they just lay down outside their door on the cold concrete. After they settled down, I noticed one of them laboring to breath, by opening it's mouth and breathing very hard. It's comb is darker than the others being a bit on the blueish side. It either has heart trouble or lung trouble. I hate to have it die during the night because I hate to waste a good bird, but I don't feel like harvesting it this late in the evening. I've only lost two out of 26 thus far. This would be the third. What do you think I should do? Should I go ahead and harvest it or what?

 

[mstricer]

I would, its only one shouldn't take that long just skin it, that's faster

 

[WVDan44]

That's a good idea. I was dreading the scalding, plucking, and singeing, although they don't have all of their feathers yet. Still, it's not a job I want to tackle at 9:30 at night, you know? So skinning would not take nearly as long. I'm going down there to see how it's doing. Thanks for the reply.

 

[mstricer]

No problem

 

[Tracydr]

I would quickly dispatch, skin and gut at least. Pop it in the freezer and finish making it pretty later.

 

[WVDan44]

It is now in a bowl of salted water in the fridge. The craw was impacted, hard and lumpy as a ball of clay. What do you think? Did it eat itself to death or have a digestive problem? It was wheezing when it tried to breath. I think the craw was obstructing the windpipe. I just weighed it on a very good food scale and it came up 3.442 lbs. dressed without giblets or skin. Doesn't that seem a bit large for the age?

Man does that thing seem to be tender and succulent. I just roasted a 7 1/2 lb. store bought roaster today, and it is very good, but I betcha this one will be very good as well. I'll have to freeze it though...bummer. Or I could freeze the one I cooked and cook this one. LOL