Cut on thighs of meat birds

[uhuh555]

Yesterday I visited a friend’s cornish x operation (6400 birds). They are raised in 8 different coops and 1/2 acre chain link covered runs. I noticed that there were many birds with 2 to 3 inch long cuts (skin deep only) on their upper thighs. Could this be that there is not enough space at the feeders/waterers and they are climbing on top of each other and causing these injuries with their toe nails?

It seemed like there was not enough feeders/waterers, we have twice as many as they were using and have never had this happen.

Each coop of birds is restarted every 8 weeks with day old chicks. When they reach 7 1/2 weeks they are processed, the coop/run is cleaned and new chicks started. A first class operation except for all those cuts. It is not just an occasional one but seems to be as much a 5%.

What do you all think is causing these injuries?

 

[Brunty_Farms]

It's from the toenails, usually you see it a lot on the bigger birds. Sometimes they are a half inch wide.... It's from what you said... they climb on each other at night, for feed or for water.


It happens, but after your process you do not see the cuts as longs as they are chilled properly.

 

[dancingbear]

Right now I have a few meat birds that were left-overs from a broiler operation. The under-sized ones that don't get taken for processing. They were all in pretty rough shape, lots of little cuts, like you say. There was one with bad leg injuries, we went ahead and processed right away, at game-hen size. There were cuts on both wings, and other places. The cuts did not disappear when the bird was chilled. I don't see how they could, the bird's dead, they aren't gonna heal. The cuts were still clearly visible.

Those little claws are sharp, I got a few cuts myself putting them in the cages to bring home, and taking them back out again.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

They are still there, the physically do not go away.... but they blend in to where you can't see them unless you were really looking for them. When you first process them, the cuts will appear as red lines on the birds... but after they are chilled for a few hours they tend to turn white.

 

[dancingbear]

I see what you mean, it would work if the cuts are fresh. These weren't, they were scabbed over, and were still highly visible even after I cleaned them out, (scraped off the surface) and the birds were chilled.