Any harm in feeding pigs (freshly) dead chickens?

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777funk

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If we have a fresh predator kill or an old bird we're not interested in eating, is there any health reason not to toss it to the pigs?
 
If a pig ran across that in the wild they would eat it, they are omnivores!

I tend to see demestic pigs as thinking they are living garbage disposals by how they eat. But... maybe that's insulting to the pigs.

Pigs in the wild from what I hear prefer to tear up planted fields, root for nuts in the woods, eat what they can catch in bugs and small animals (possums, fawns, turkey eggs, turkeys, etc).

So I'd wonder if domestic pigs would have similar preferences.
 
You could try it. A story my mom tells was about an old cousin of hers who had a horse to put down and he did and chopped it up but the pigs wouldn't eat it. I'd think they'd like a chicken better.
 
Yeah you could toss it in. I think the worst that could happen is that they turn up their nose at it, and you're left with a smelly dead chicken in the pig pen. Note that they may just tear it up without really eating it.

Some years back when the farmers around here still had pigs in pens instead of confinement buildings, an old farmer died of a suspected heart attack in a pen full of 150 lb pigs. I say suspected heart attack because by the time he was found, there wasn't much left to do an autopsy on. Those pigs had torn his body to pieces.
 
Yeah you could toss it in. I think the worst that could happen is that they turn up their nose at it, and you're left with a smelly dead chicken in the pig pen. Note that they may just tear it up without really eating it.

Some years back when the farmers around here still had pigs in pens instead of confinement buildings, an old farmer died of a suspected heart attack in a pen full of 150 lb pigs. I say suspected heart attack because by the time he was found, there wasn't much left to do an autopsy on. Those pigs had torn his body to pieces.

I can see that. We try to care for the pigs in pairs and keep a spade shovel near by incase something goes wrong. They can be friendly and I don't consider pigs vicious creatures, but they're not pets. I'd trust them much less than say a good dog.
 
Many years ago, we rented a little house on a farm...we helped with the chickens when the time came...I can still see those pigs as the farmer dumped feet and other parts into their pens, those pigs munching on those feet ...that pic has never left me..LOL
 
Yes, it depends on the breed. Talk to your local extension office if you know the breed that you have.
 

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