The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: The Relic on October 01, 2009, 10:23:09 pm

Title: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: The Relic on October 01, 2009, 10:23:09 pm

i found one of my turkeys (male) in the pig sty tonight as i was locking them up, i came to the conclusion that he was either attacked by the pigs or by my rooster as he had some damage to his wing. i thought he might be alright just a little shook up as the injury was minimal but he died a short time later. just before he kicked the bucket he vomited a load of yellow gunk. i plucked and gutted him but noticed that his liver did not look in the best of condition it had a lot of white/cream blotches running throught it. my question is will he be alright to eat? have him in the freezer at the moment.

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: Roxy on October 01, 2009, 11:19:34 pm

Well, as a rule, if any of my poultry are found dead I do not eat them, as I am never sure whether they had something iffy.  On the other hand, if the bird had been killed, like you think, by the rooster or a pig, then yes, I would probably eat it, as it had not died of an illness.  I defiitely would not eat the liver, but the rest of him I think I would eat .......

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: The Relic on October 01, 2009, 11:28:53 pm

cheers mate. yes the liver is definitely off the menu. the bird looked alright up to today but now i think of it he seemed to be by himself quite a bit today.

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: Roxy on October 02, 2009, 12:00:42 am

In a situation like this, I always think that it would be such a waste of a good meal NOT to eat the bird .....at least something good has come out of a tragedy, in a way.

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: shetlandpaul on October 02, 2009, 07:49:34 am

not sure. if the pigs had done him he would have bite marks and also the benifit of bugs injected into the wounds. if it died from some infectetion then no don;t eat it. if you found a dead sheep in the field would you tuck in. if the liver had a clear infection then you need to start treating the other turkeys. why do you think a vet has to inspect animals at the slaughter house. i would say dead stock unless it was killed by you for say a broken leg is not fit to eat. you could feed it to the dogs.

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: doganjo on October 02, 2009, 02:45:30 pm

I agree. I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole as far as eating is concerned.  I'm sure your dogs will love it.

I expected my young lad to be really ill today as when I was out mowing the grass last night he nicked the carcase of a turkey I'd cooked for them - far too long in the freezer for me to eat.  He's fine fortunately, but being bones I worried all night!

Title: Re: Turkey dropped dead is he ok to eat.
Post by: The Relic on October 08, 2009, 10:02:30 pm

cheers guys. yea going to bin him best not take the chance would be able to enjoy it with the thoughts of dodgy liver running through my mind