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Post by goingpostal on Feb 17, 2011 16:28:52 GMT -5
So a co-workers hubby traps, and I told her I would take some meat/organs if he doesn't want them, and I guess he usually just tosses it. She calls me today and says she has two buckets for me, I set one in the freezer, the other was just wrapped in a plastic bag so I left it on the counter to thaw to repackage. I open the bag after a few hours to see what's in there. Skinned Muskrat! I really really don't want to touch and clean these off, I want gloves! I think the other bucket must be the coyote. Man, the things I do for the animals. This is going to be so gross.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 17, 2011 18:18:17 GMT -5
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 17, 2011 22:11:28 GMT -5
Oh it's so bad! I dumped out that bucket, it's a whole bunch of muskrat all frozen together. In my sink. What do you think the chances are I can get James to work without noticing that! The tail is still there, and all the organs, paws, scary teeth! Should I take out the intestines? It smells awful!!! I'm using plastic baggies over my hands, I just can't touch them.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 17, 2011 22:24:18 GMT -5
Either cut through the spine, and spill out the intestines that way, or a cut just below the diaphragm, and bend the spine backwards, and spill them out that way. Or- you could just feed them intact
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 17, 2011 23:39:53 GMT -5
Well I did end up taking out the intestines, a couple they were already out and just in the bucket, I did what you said Sherry, it worked! But really really disgusting. They are big! Between 425-760 grams and I got five of them, maybe more if that's what in the other bucket too, don't know yet but way more than my crew eats in a day, I tried chopping one in half and that was messy, so I left the rest alone, maybe when I thaw them back out I will feed some to the cat if she'll take it, or to the dogs if they will. One had a weird lumpy thing going on in the stomach? Maybe pregnant? I don't know, didn't feel like investigating so I left it. I think I'm going to go take a hot shower. I did end up touching the last couple to shove them into bags, seriously I can handle whole prey, but skinned prey, OMG. I need to sterilize anywhere they touched. I swear to god, they better eat these.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2011 23:49:32 GMT -5
Oh, wow that sounds nasty The things we do for our furchildren
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2011 8:28:59 GMT -5
So the skulls are included too? We have a friend that traps and we've gotten a small skull collection out of it -- not enough meat and organs, though! Processing a carcass isn't so bad if you can figure out which areas to stay away from...
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Post by Deleted on Feb 18, 2011 9:33:50 GMT -5
Is it good though to feed ferrets other carnivores?
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 18, 2011 9:45:58 GMT -5
The muskrat is skinned only, he didn't take off the heads or anything, very complete. And bloody. I don't usually mess with whole anything so this was a new experience.
I wasn't sure on the carnivore-carnivore thing with the coyote, I know the muskrat is fine since those eat plants.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 18, 2011 11:04:08 GMT -5
Since larger carnivores will eat smaller carnivores in the wild, I really don't see a problem with it.
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Post by Heather on Feb 18, 2011 11:33:07 GMT -5
Keep away from the livers of another carnivore. Seemingly, the liver is off the chart with vit a, bear being the most dangerous to eat...polar bear the worst. It can kill you Go figure. As far as I know ... go feed the rest of it ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 18, 2011 11:59:29 GMT -5
Awesome, good to know. Although no idea if that's actually what's in the other bucket, I'm hoping for beaver, but right now I'm just going to let it sit in my freezer, don't really feel like going through that again and being wild it's going to freeze a few weeks before I will feed it anyways.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2011 7:04:09 GMT -5
;D I understand the ick factor, we get 55 gallon garbage cans filled with "tidbits" from the slaughter house...the intestines and the contents of the stomachs are always the worst...they are gag-ariffic!
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 19, 2011 9:05:20 GMT -5
OMG! I couldn't even imagine 55 gallons worth of "stuff", this was only a 1 gallon bucket.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 19, 2011 9:17:35 GMT -5
I dd not know this about the livers. Not that I eat liver of any kind or every will, but it's still good to know. LOL!
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