Deer Carcass

[pembrokenh]

Hello,

I am new to raising birds. My wife and I have a dozen 8 week old chickens and a half dozen guinea fowl. I am an avid hunter and am always looking for a good ways to use ALL of the deer. I was wondering if I could either of the following:

1. hang fresh chunks of the carcass to hang and be packed at

2. use a large barrel to make a big batch of maggots and dry the excess

Appreciate any suggestions.

 

[nuthatched]

You can just toss it in there but be aware you may attracting large predators.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I don't recommend giving maggots to your chickens due to fly strike. On feeding your chickens the meat, you can. I only suggest ensuring that it does spoil while it's in their reach, as that can make them sick.

With my chickens, I throw them the whole rib cage and bones. They LOVE cleaning the bones off and depending on the size of your flock, it may keep them entertained for hours or days. Any suet or any other unwanted meat (that isn't spoiled and is still safe to eat), I throw to them as well. For bigger pieces of raw meat, I prefer to cut up small so they can eat it better. All of this makes excellent Fall-Winter time treats that'll they'll love you forever for.

 

[user651618]

Mine will also skeletonize fish carcasses as well.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Yes I feed mine our leftover game meats and fish usually 1-2 times a week.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

My birds clean my goat bones once I'm done processing. They seem eager for the opportunity.

If you look in old (1900s-1940s) recipes, you will find many calling for "meat scraps". That's actually a term of art, and not the first thing you picture, but it started with all the parts left over after the majority of the animal was butchered for human consumption.

Birds do very well on animal proteins - contains some key aminos which are hard to find adequate amounts of in plants, as well as non-phytate phosphorus. and of course a good calcium source.

 

[nuthatched]

I don't recommend giving maggots to your chickens due to fly strike

Can you explain why? I'd not thought of that?

 

[Altairsky]

Maggots are bad for all animals, unless you use them as fish bait. They live in rotten meat and rotten meat can make chickens sick.
They turn into flies and flies can infest small wounds on chickens and eat them alive.
Urban legends also states that if ingested alive, maggots can eat your insides.

 

[Brooks_]

Maggots are bad for all animals, unless you use them as fish bait. They live in rotten meat and rotten meat can make chickens sick.
They turn into flies and flies can infest small wounds on chickens and eat them alive.
Urban legends also states that if ingested alive, maggots can eat your insides.

Please back any/all of that with sources.

I concede the wound part - I believe maggots are still used in medical settings for dead/dying tissue.

 

[GirlsHuntToo]

I am also a hunter and chop up any fat and freeze it and when i'm ready to feed it to my chickens I boil it up in a large pot with water and then feed it to them. Raw meat isn't very good for chickens and as mentioned above could draw in predators like hawks, coyotes, foxes, and bears.