# Using squirrels as protein for chickens



## Bucksco (Nov 13, 2012)

Hi Everyone,
Long time lurker on this site but I have a question that I have not seen answered on this site yet.

Im reading a Joel Salatin book and he mentions hunting squirrels as a protein source during the winter for chickens. My lot is overrun with squirrels and thinning the local population out some sounds like a great idea to me.

My question is do I have to do anything to the squirrels prior to giving them to the chickens? Should I worm the chickens if im going to do this?


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## simi-steading (Sep 27, 2012)

Oh man.. no way would I waste a squirrel on a chicken... Yes the parts of if I wouldn't eat, but they wouldn't get the meat..


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

*Never* worm animals that don't *show symptoms* of having worms.
Unless you clean and cook the squirrels, you'll find the birds will most likely just ignore them


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## Bucksco (Nov 13, 2012)

Thanks for the responses.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

you dont have to cook any meat you feed to chickens, but they have to see it as meat, if your not going to eat the squirl then you should skin it at least, open up the gut cavity so they can get a better grip, you can do this with squirl, rabbit, fish, etc. any raw meat available is fine,


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## bluetick (May 11, 2002)

Around here we have ground squirrels. They make tunnel systems forming mounds on the ground, or they excavate under outbuildings. They also like chicken feed...

I bought a squirrelinator at the feedstore and made a big dent in the population. I laid a dead squirrel one out on the ground to see if the chickens would be interested, but made the mistake of not at least cutting it open. The birds looked it over, but didn't try to taste it. Will try again with any new crop in the spring. (squirrelinator.com)


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

I'v heard tales from relitives from the days of the great depresion. Picking up fairly fresh road kill and choping it up for the chickens was common practice . I'v also read of people hanging a carcause and letting the chickens eat the maggots .ithough i'v done nither I have tossed iffy hamburger out and they relished it .I'm assumeing if you ground em up of chopped em up fine enough the chickens would love it.


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## ODINSWORN (Jun 8, 2010)

I had a pretty bad dog problem and lost 4 ducks and several rabbits. So as to not have them a total waste, I gutted them, pressure cooked them, and then ground them up bones and all in my meat grinder. the resulting stuff was like little pellets. My chickens ate them like crazy. But, the whole unskinned rabbit, nothing doing.


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## KSALguy (Feb 14, 2006)

chickens dont have the cutting power to get into a carcas with out help, if they cant swallow it whole or tear a piece off they wont bother, thats why skinning or opening the carcas some how is needed so they can get to the soft bits, they can pick a skelleton clean if you give them a head start


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## 65284 (Sep 17, 2003)

I feed road kill. I skin it hang it up by a hind leg, make several deep cuts from the hind to the front legs over the rib cage, sort of shredding it, it gives the girls a place to start, and they will pick it clean.


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