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chickens

Any ideas for utilizing dead chickens?

carrie watson

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Location: Otter Lake, Quebec, Canada

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posted 4 years ago

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My partner and his brother have laying hens. A common weasel that lives in the wood shed, took two of the chickens out today. There has to be better uses for these chicken carcasses than to throw them in the bush, which, although a natural thing, to me it feels like such a waste of materials, but is exactly what they'll do. I suggested to turn it into cat food. Would love to read other permies' suggestions for what to do with dead chickens.

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Carrie
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Judson Carroll

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Location: Blue Ridge Mountains

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posted 4 years ago

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Weasel and coyote trapping - that is the very best bait... also good for coons and possums, etc. Predator control is an essential part of homesteading... don't waste it!

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Douglas Alpenstock

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Location: Canadian Prairies - Zone 3b

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posted 4 years ago

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That's a lousy situation.

The problem with throwing them over the fence is that it teaches local predators where to find easy food. They will not ever forget that lesson. Ever.

Unless they are freshly killed and rapidly processed, I think they may be a bit dodgy for people food. But there are all sorts of people who will pay a little for fresh, raw dog/cat food.

Other than that, dig a hole and plant a tree.

Side note: people used to pay for weasel skins. I wonder if that is still true.

Michael Fundaro

pollinator

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Location: Southern Utah

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posted 4 years ago

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You could consider skinning and cooking the meat to feed back to the remaining birds or to feed your dogs. They need protein, meat is protein.
Using it a bait to trap the predators is a good idea, if you are so inclined.

Aside from those two options I don't know what to suggest.

When in doubt, doubt the doubt.

Megan Palmer

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Location: Zone 9A, 45S 168E, 329m Queenstown, NZ

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posted 4 years ago

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How about using the dead chickens in a maggot bucket? Here's a thread about how to https://permies.com/t/990/Maggot-Feeding-Station-Poultry

C Mouse

Posts: 121

Location: Ohio

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posted 4 years ago

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If your compost pile is large enough to be hot you can compost them.
Feathers can be used for crafting.
Untouched meat can be cut away and eaten if it's cold enough. Where I live right now it's colder outside than in my fridge so it'd be OK for a day easy. So if they gnaw through the chest but leave the legs untouched the meat might be OK, just a little dark (good for soup!).
You can clean the bones for crafts or display.
You can debone it and bake the bones 'til they are able to be broken with your fingers and feed them back to the chickens as a calcium supplement or use them as bonemeal in your gardens.

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Jen Fulkerson

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Location: N. California

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If you don't want to feed it to an animal you have, you could burry it below a place you are going to plant a tree, or something else. Its a great way to get rid of it, but know it wont go to waist.

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” — Abraham Lincoln

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