Chickens ate roadkill

[RaesChicks]

The other day I discovered the carcass of a possum that vultures had dragged into our yard completely picked clean. We had seen it the day before at the end of our driveway but after dragging it across the lawn it disappeared and we assumed they took it to a ditch nearby where they like to gather. We did a brief check of the yard the next day before letting the hens out and couldn’t find any sign of it so we figured it was ok to let them out.

Fast forward three days later while I’m picking up fallen branches, I find the carcass in my flower garden picked clean and find out from neighbors that the day before I let the chickens out they had been looking at it and it had been completely covered in roaches at the time.

I used a shovel to take the fur covered skeleton with the intact head, feet, and tail to a box by the road because I have no clue how to dispose of it. But I’m concerned about my 11 one and a half year old hens and the diseases they may have been exposed to when they most likely participated in the roadkill feast.

Do you have any advice for me, should I wait and watch for illness? Take one to a vet and have it tested? Should we be avoiding the eggs at this point? I know they are dinosaurs and resilient and eat anything but I also know they can get leptospirosis and bird flu and the like so I’m really hesitant to let my kids interact with them at this point and could really benefit from the input and direction of more experienced flock raisers. Please and thank you!!

 

[DobieLover]

If you are free ranging your hens, they are eating any and all manner of critters all the time. Snakes, frogs, baby birds, mice and a large assortment of bugs are some of the things I've seen my own flock consume. I have given them the stripped carcasses of turkeys and chickens for them to clean as well. I have never not eaten their eggs after seeing them eat these things.

I wouldn't be too concerned about them having stripped what was left of a wild carcass. If you are that worried, just avoid physical contact with them for 2 weeks. Wear a mask and gloves when around them. Whatever makes you comfortable. The normal incubation period for lepto is 5-14 days and bird flu will show up much faster than that and would most likely kill them quickly. Exposure to wild birds are more likely to be a concern for that though. But, you free range them so it's always a risk.

 

[FrostRanger]

Your birds are fine. No, it's not ideal they ate the possum, but I doubt anything will come of it. Certainly keep an eye on them but I wouldn't worry too much

 

[Barbours]

The other day I discovered the carcass of a possum that vultures had dragged into our yard completely picked clean. We had seen it the day before at the end of our driveway but after dragging it across the lawn it disappeared and we assumed they took it to a ditch nearby where they like to gather. We did a brief check of the yard the next day before letting the hens out and couldn’t find any sign of it so we figured it was ok to let them out.

Fast forward three days later while I’m picking up fallen branches, I find the carcass in my flower garden picked clean and find out from neighbors that the day before I let the chickens out they had been looking at it and it had been completely covered in roaches at the time.

I used a shovel to take the fur covered skeleton with the intact head, feet, and tail to a box by the road because I have no clue how to dispose of it. But I’m concerned about my 11 one and a half year old hens and the diseases they may have been exposed to when they most likely participated in the roadkill feast.

Do you have any advice for me, should I wait and watch for illness? Take one to a vet and have it tested? Should we be avoiding the eggs at this point? I know they are dinosaurs and resilient and eat anything but I also know they can get leptospirosis and bird flu and the like so I’m really hesitant to let my kids interact with them at this point and could really benefit from the input and direction of more experienced flock raisers. Please and thank you!!

They'll be fine. Also, it's a myth that opossums are dirty critters they're are actually immune to most diseases including snake bites so I doubt it gave anything to your birds.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Use that shovel and bury the carcass. Nature will recycle what is left.

Your chickens will be fine.