Culled rooster: Liver hard, grey, with tiny yellowish spots.

[MargaretYakoda]

Yes, it is very bad. I contracted it from a restaurant when I was 2 months pregnant. I was extremely ill & had to have IVs & ultrasounds to make sure baby was all right. You don't want to pass this on.

Campylobacter is VERY COMMON on UNCOOKED meat, and poses NO RISK when the meat is cooked properly. Children can pick it up off of meat packages at the grocery store - which is probably how my son got it when he was 18 months. And yes, it's nasty.

But if you COOK the meat, it's perfectly safe.

 

[jrjoplin]

I'm sure the restaurant thought they had properly cooked it for @rides2far . I'm truly sorry that your rooster had to be put down, we all know the pain of loosing one of the birds we have grown close to. None of us knows what is best for other chicken keepers, we can only offer our advise and recommendations based on how we perceive the situation. Whatever you decide to do I hope everything goes well.

 

[LeafBlade12345]

You never would want to be the cause of a friend's, or even enemy's, sickness. It won't help someone going through economically tough times to be too sick to work or help out with the family. If you really want to, just kill another rooster to give to your friend and throw this one out. It isn't worth the risk.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Can anyone tell me if any of the possible diseases I've listed are unsafe to eat even when thoroughly cooked? Anyone? How about the possibility of zinc poisoning from the nut in his gizzard. Could that have caused liver damage? Would the amount of zinc in a nut be enough to harm a human?

Can anyone tell me if there are any other possible illnesses that fit the situation? And are any of those illnesses unsafe to eat?

I mean, obviously I do not want to make our friend sick. But I also want to know what the most likely contender for this is. Because I need to know if I need to cull my whole flock, treat with antibiotics, be more careful about their feed, or whatever ....

 

[Folly's place]

You need to have a necropsy done, preferably at your state vet path lab, if you have one. Guessing on the internet is not a diagnosis. Mary

 

[jrjoplin]

Just so we're on the same page I'll give you the disclaimer. I know your looking for answers so I'll try to give you what I can. I am not an avian vet nor would my knowledge of avian diseases be considered extensive. I agree that to be certain a necropsy should have been done but it sounds like the bird has been processed and a full necropsy is no longer an option. My first concern is the picture you show under Cholera and state that the liver looked similar. That picture is of an avian flu infected birds liver. That is the only other possible disease that I can offer without more knowledge and actually seeing the bird before processing. To my knowledge every possible disease you listed is safe to eat with proper cooking and handling and that would include the avian flu. The only thing you noted that should be commented on is the Zinc poisoning. Metal poisoning will be present in the meat of the bird but eating one bird with Zinc poisoning is probably not going to hurt anyone.

I still urge you to dispose of this bird as its' disease cannot be properly determined. We all try to help others as much as we can but by handing someone a bird that must be handled with care and cooked properly to prevent possible infection it's just a risk that shouldn't be taken.

Edited: originally I referred to the birds Cause of Death. This bird was culled and did not die as a direct result of whatever disease it may have had.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

You need to have a necropsy done, preferably at your state vet path lab, if you have one. Guessing on the internet is not a diagnosis. Mary

Yes. Guessing on the internet is not a diagnosis. Thank you.

I'm not asking for guesses. I'm asking if anyone knows if there are any other diseases or conditions that might apply. And I'm asking if anyone knows if ANY of those I have already listed are OK to eat if cooked properly. I am not asking for a guess. I'm asking for specific information.

I am asking not only because I might decide to eat this bird, or give it to a friend, or maybe feed it to my dog, but I also need to know if I might need to treat my flock, cull my flock, or change any of my flock raising practices.

I understand that some folks wouldn't eat a bird that's known to have salmonella, or campylodacter, or merck's. But the fact is, those are safe to eat when properly cooked.

I'd like to know what other chicken illnesses are safe to eat when properly cooked. Or, perhaps, what diseases are NOT safe to eat even when cooked, as that list is probably a lot shorter.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

I still urge you to dispose of this bird as its' COD cannot be properly determined. We all try to help others as much as we can but by handing someone a bird that must be handled with care and cooked properly to prevent possible infection it's just a risk that shouldn't be taken.

Thank you for this.

Let's be clear, though. The bird's cause of death is that I killed him. He was looking healthy as hell when I did it. He wasn't exhibiting any symptoms, not even his occasional bluish comb.

He was processed because his fertility had dropped some, and he was a hatchery Orpington, and we're moving the flock to all Jersey Giants. We already have two full grown JG cocks, and this guy was simply redundant. The finding of the liver was a shock.

I've butchered at least twenty other birds, and necropsied one who was egg bound. They all had perfect livers.

 

[jrjoplin]

Thank you for this.

Let's be clear, though. The bird's cause of death is that I killed him. He was looking healthy as hell when I did it. He wasn't exhibiting any symptoms, not even his occasional bluish comb.

He was processed because his fertility had dropped some, and he was a hatchery Orpington, and we're moving the flock to all Jersey Giants. We already have two full grown JG cocks, and this guy was simply redundant. The finding of the liver was a shock.

I've butchered at least twenty other birds, and necropsied one who was egg bound. They all had perfect livers.

You're correct in the back and forth I forgot that you culled him. Let's replace COD with unknown disease.

 

[MargaretYakoda]

Found an article on zinc toxicity in poultry. There were issues with the pancreas, but nothing was said about the liver. So, I guess I can scratch that one off the list.
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00071668308416754?journalCode=cbps20#.VezpwRFRGLM