Ex-battery hens: fit for human consumption??

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Just to explain: we've got some ex-battery hens - 8 in total, have had them about a year now, and have made the decision to cull them. First reason: they've started eating their own eggs, so not economic to keep them, Second reason: they've started pecking each other and although we've separated some of the flock, they are still doing it. We've tried everything, keeping them out, keeping them in, it doesn't seem to make any difference - whereas our other hens (Marans & Legbars plus a few bantams - don't do the feather pecking OR eat their own eggs even though kept to the same regime).

So anyway...... we've decided to cull; and on Tuesday are taking them up to a small local abbatoir where they will slaughter, cleanse & table-prep for £2.50 per bird. Basically, although I'm quite OK to cull the occasional bird when humane reasons demands it, I just don't have either the stomach or the inclination to kill off all 8 of them at one go, and thought that to have them culled professionally by someone who knows what they're doing and isn't "emotionally" involved, in the most humane way possible and then have the carcasses back, would be the best way to do it.

OK. So this is what we've planned to do.......... and please, no comments or observations about where we've "gone wrong" with these hens. We've done the very best we could for them, given them a whole year of good-keeping basically, and now we feel there is no other (humane) solution to their behaviour. But won't be having any more ex-battery hens, full stop!!! They haven't been the easiest of flocks TBH.

So the question is...... suspecting that commercial flocks are immunised, etc etc., and goodness-knows-what substances are put into them: does anyone know whether they'd be fit for human consumption???

If not, its not too great a tragedy, as they'll go into the freezer (will have to make room!) and feed the cats and dogs, BUT if they are OK to eat, they may just be OK for casserole'ing down???

Advice welcomed please (only about the advisability of eating ex-batt's please:- the other course of action will be going ahead as planned).

 

[Clodagh]

They will literally be skin, bone and sinew. They are not a breed designed to carry meat as such, there may be some yellow fat in the body cavity.
I shouldn't think they would do you any harm as long as you haven't treated or fed them medicated food or ABs in the year you have had them, they should ahve cleaned out their systems I would have though. Have never seen an ill fox after eating mine!!

 

[kirstys 1]

Wouldn't have thought there would be much worth eating on them, but don't see any health reason why you shouldn't.

 

[s4sugar]

You should be perfectly safe - many hens go straight from the cage to make nuggets -but these will not be roasting birds - look up recipies for boiling fowl.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

doubt its worth the effort (get the slow cooker out!) and they certainly won't be worth roasting. I would personally feed them raw to cats/dogs.

 

[debsandpets]

I can't see there being much meat on them as layers are specifically bred to be JUST that - layers, whereas the meat breeds such as cobbs etc are specifically bred for meat and they are on the table by about 8 weeks old.
Don't think there will be any harm in trying them though. I am just gutted our local abatoir no longer deals with the killing and processing of poultry for keepers etc, only afaik bring in birds then process them, as we have a mixture of utility birds, Marans, Orpingtons, etc that I would love to try, but couldn't face the whole process myself (obv we dispatch if necessary but that is as far as I can take it).
Let us know how they turn out won't you.
If they are pecking each other are they doing it and then eating any feathers (high protein, so potentially lacking something in diet on the protein level). Try giving them some mealworms or tinned cat food/tinned or fresh fish like mackerel or tuna to help on that front - it can sometimes help the pecking but not always.

For the record it's nothing you have done in the way of housing or looking after your birds, but some just eat eggs. In the laying industry they pretty much don't get to see their eggs, as soon as thy have laid them the head down the rollaway chute out of the reach of beaks so they only tend to start once they can see them.

 

[paddi22]

i wouldn't eat a battery hen if you paid me. We keep tons of chickens and I have no issue culling them when needed. But an ex battery would literally be sinew and muscle, plus they are PUMPED full of antibiotics and stuff. I'd be more paranoid about consuming that then the meat!

 

[debsandpets]

But these have been out of the industry for about a year and living a more natural life ............... Would that make any difference to body condition etc after coming from they caged life at all do you think or is that set in stone almost once they go into the laying industry paddi22 ??

 

[paddi22]

i just think their first years are so hard it takes the toll on their body - their livers can get a thing called fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, where blot clots take hold. Cause of the conditions they are kept in their oviducts can become infected with salmonella. They have been raised in an area full of toxic ammonia. They breed battery hens that lay way more eggs that normal hens, so their bodies are pushed to unnatural limits. The amount of antibiotics they get is staggering, as well as other drugs.

I can understand not wanting to waste a chickens body, and that slow cooking and stuff can make tough meat to be edible , but you could not pay to put the chemicals those chickens got into me!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

i just think their first years are so hard it takes the toll on their body - their livers can get a thing called fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, where blot clots take hold. Cause of the conditions they are kept in their oviducts can become infected with salmonella. They have been raised in an area full of toxic ammonia. They breed battery hens that lay way more eggs that normal hens, so their bodies are pushed to unnatural limits. The amount of antibiotics they get is staggering, as well as other drugs.

I can understand not wanting to waste a chickens body, and that slow cooking and stuff can make tough meat to be edible , but you could not pay to put the chemicals those chickens got into me!

OMG Thanks for this; I'm reviewing the whole situation now; as TBH wouldn't even want to feed this to the dogs & cats, if this is correct.

 

[jrp204]

We had 3000 free range hens, I have a few older hens left over, they have been out of the big flock for a year, would I eat them? No, you may as well eat a plate of skin and gristle.
We have reared table birds though, now that is a different story.

 

[debsandpets]

i just think their first years are so hard it takes the toll on their body - their livers can get a thing called fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, where blot clots take hold. Cause of the conditions they are kept in their oviducts can become infected with salmonella. They have been raised in an area full of toxic ammonia. They breed battery hens that lay way more eggs that normal hens, so their bodies are pushed to unnatural limits. The amount of antibiotics they get is staggering, as well as other drugs.

I can understand not wanting to waste a chickens body, and that slow cooking and stuff can make tough meat to be edible , but you could not pay to put the chemicals those chickens got into me!

You learn something new everyday !!! Thanks paddi22

 

[stencilface]

Could anything eat them? Would it be worth leaving them out for birds or prey? We have lots of red kites round here and I know a local butcher is always putting out scraps for them, they are forever circling his house!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

Could anything eat them? Would it be worth leaving them out for birds or prey? We have lots of red kites round here and I know a local butcher is always putting out scraps for them, they are forever circling his house!

I've heard of red kites taking chickens so its not something I'd want to encourage! we don't have them up here but have heard people claim this. I think once you see them plucked you pretty much realise its a waste of effort. even a lot of dual purpose birds won't end up with a lot on them compared to the supermarket, big breasted type of eating chook.

 

[stencilface]

Well, you could leave them a long way from your house!

 

[Alexart]

I wouldn't bother eating them either, I just culled off my old ISA's and there was not much worth eating on them, my old neighbor once told me the best way to cook an old laying hen is to stick it in a pot with an old boot, boil the hell out of it, throw out the chicken and eat the boot as it will have more flavour and be easier to chew!!!p Mine I bought pre battery so they never got to be caged birds so no chemicals but they still had nothing on them as they put all their energy into laying, but my dogs had a nice meal!! I don't think it would bother me to feed ex-batterys to my dogs if they've been kept for a year, but I wouldn't want to eat them!

 

[jrp204]

Commercial hens are unlikely to be carrying salmonella, we had to take samples every 5 wks to test for salmonella. Had the test been positive the birds would have to be culled.
Mice and rats are the primary carriers of salmonella in housed birds. We were not allowed to sell dirty eggs or to wash them as this also increases the risk of bacterial infection in the egg.

 

[WelshD]

I would cull them and offer them to a local ferret owner or maybe a farmer to bait traps

If you bin them they need to be double bagged

I wouldnt eat them, not because of health concerns but purely because there will be sod all meat on them and it wont be good quality

As an aside - when you restock I would choose a good pure breed such as Sussex, Wyandottes, RIR, New Hampshire Reds of Marans - all of these will lay decently for much of the year though not as prolificaly as the hybrids and not usually over the witer but they live longer and are more productive for more years

Pure breeds have far less behavioural and health problems than hybrids.

The exception being the unique and hard to find Black Rock hybrid, genuine ones of these are brilliant (there is only one hatchery with approved stockists. Lots and lots of fakes about)

 

[debsandpets]

Lol, try telling my NHR and Marans about laying !!! I have a group of 10 copper black marans, and 4 (was 6) NHR's that should have been laying well before now and the most I get is 1 egg from the marans every 4 days or so, and nothing from the NHR girls !!! Love them all to bits though but the NHR are not as thrifty as my first ones were unfortunately :-(

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Thanks for your replies everyone! The chooks in question did NOT get "the chop"....... we made the decision to just let them cluck around on our yard here - they've got plenty of water, and we are chucking out a handful of corn for them when they need it.

They can find plenty of places to roost; and are basically going to live out their days in a lovely tranquil atmosphere. IF we do get a fox-raid (which is always possible) then that will be the end of them, and that will be that. We didn't cull them, but this is the choice we made. This morning I stepped on a freshly-laid egg in the hay...... so obviously their new retirement regime isn't disagreeing with them too badly!

OK so we we too blimmin soft to cull them; they're basically on retirement livery now

 

[MotherOfChickens]

OK so we we too blimmin soft to cull them; they're basically on retirement livery now

I don't blame you I basically have 5 older hens I should cull (purebreds) in order to keep a viable laying flock. can't quite do it though!

 

[debsandpets]

Aww bless em we have 5 that need culling too, but they are simply hanging on too as I don't really want to cull them. They are certainly not producing any eggs though, but they seem to keep the main flock in check most of the time so they do have a use I suppose ;-)