Raising Animals for Food: Eggs, Meat and Feed at Home

By GoldBlock WorkshopPublished Updated

The short answer

This page covers animals kept at home for food (laying hens, meat birds, rabbits, ducks, goats and bees) and the health rules that come with them. CDC: poultry “can appear healthy and clean, but still spread harmful germs that make people sick,” so wash your hands with soap and running water after touching them. NDSU: with moldy feed, “the mold may be gone, but the mycotoxins remain.” USDA FSIS: keep eggs in a refrigerator “set at 40 degree F or below.” Cook poultry to 165°F (FoodSafety.gov).

Key numbers

  • At least dailycollect eggs (twice a day is better)Source: University of Kentucky via eXtension
  • 40°F or belowrefrigerator temperature for eggs; raw shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeksSource: USDA FSIS
  • 165°Fsafe internal temperature for all poultry, whole or ground; egg dishes 160°FSource: FoodSafety.gov; CDC
  • 40°Fpoultry carcass chilled to this or below within 4 hours (under 4 lb), 6 hours (4 to 8 lb) or 8 hours (over 8 lb): USDA FSIS safe-harbor times; Penn State gives 35 to 40°F for deerSource: USDA FSIS

What animals add to a food plan

The animals on this page give eggs (hens, ducks), meat (meat birds, rabbits, goats), milk (goats) and honey (bees). Manure used on a food garden has its own waiting periods and limits, quoted from University of Maine Extension on Home Food Garden.

Keep your family safe around poultry

CDC’s guidance for backyard poultry owners:

  • “Wash your hands with soap and running water after touching backyard poultry” or anything in their area.
  • “Don’t let children younger than 5 years old handle or touch chicks, ducklings, or other poultry.”
  • “Don’t kiss backyard poultry or snuggle them and then touch your face or mouth.”
  • “Don’t let backyard poultry inside the house, especially in areas where food or drinks are prepared, served, or stored.”

Feeding animals and storing feed

Feed for animals is planned the same way as a household food store (see Food and Nutrition Requirements), with the daily amount taken from the feed label or a veterinarian.

Egg handling and storage

The sources below give collection at least once a day, cracked eggs thrown away, refrigeration at 40°F or below, and egg dishes cooked to 160°F.

  • Collect “as frequently as possible, but at least once a day,” twice is better (University of Kentucky, via eXtension).
  • Throw away cracked eggs (CDC).
  • Dirty eggs: CDC: “Eggs with dirt and debris can be cleaned carefully with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth.” The two agencies differ on washing: USDA FSIS (for consumers): “It’s not necessary or recommended for consumers to wash eggs”; University of Kentucky (for small flocks): eggs “should be washed before they are put in the refrigerator,” with “running water (no immersion) that is warmer than the temperature of the egg,” dried completely, and “do not use eggs that are extensively dirty.”
  • Refrigerate at 40°F or below; raw shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks; “Refrigerated eggs should not be left out more than 2 hours” (USDA FSIS).
  • Cook egg dishes to 160°F (CDC); casseroles to 165°F (FoodSafety.gov).

Storing extra eggs

USDA FSIS’s storage chart says of eggs in the shell: “Do not freeze.” The National Center for Home Food Preservation’s method for freezing a surplus: mix yolks and whites without whipping in air, add 1½ tablespoons sugar, 1½ tablespoons corn syrup or ½ teaspoon salt per cup of whole eggs or yolks “to prevent graininess” (whites: “No sugar or salt is needed”), and package with ½-inch headspace or freeze in ice-cube trays (“Three tablespoons of the egg mixture (one cube) equal one whole egg”).

Butchering and processing at home

This page does not give step-by-step processing instructions. Penn State Extension’s venison guidance gives these rules for deer, and USDA FSIS gives the poultry chilling times; other species have their own extension guidance:

  • “To reduce the risk of exposure to disease, wear disposable gloves while handling deer,” and clean the knife “frequently or between cuts to avoid dragging bacteria into the meat” (Penn State).
  • “Avoid cutting the paunch and intestines; bacteria associated with foodborne illness may be found in these organs.”
  • Cool the carcass quickly: 35 to 40°F for deer (Penn State). For poultry, USDA FSIS’s safe-harbor chilling times are 40°F or below within 4 hours of processing for carcasses under 4 pounds, 6 hours for 4 to 8 pounds, and 8 hours for over 8 pounds (FSIS guidance on 9 CFR 381.66, 2014).

Safe minimum internal temperatures (FoodSafety.gov): poultry, including ground poultry, 165°F; rabbit and venison (“wild or farm-raised”) 160°F; ground beef, pork, goat and lamb 160°F; beef, pork, goat and lamb steaks, chops and roasts 145°F with a 3-minute rest. The two sources differ on venison: Penn State Extension (2020) gives “whole cuts, steaks, and roasts to 145°F (63°C) (medium rare)” and ground venison 160°F; FoodSafety.gov lists venison at 160°F. CDC on tularemia: “Use gloves when handling animals, especially rabbits, muskrats, prairie dogs, and other rodents.” CDC on brucellosis: “Wear eye protection and latex or rubber gloves when handling carcasses.”

To preserve what you raise, see Food Preservation.

Common questions

Are backyard chickens safe for kids?

With precautions. CDC advises that children under 5 not handle chicks, ducklings or other poultry, that everyone wash hands with soap and running water after contact, and that poultry stay out of the house.

Should I wash eggs from my own hens?

The sources differ. USDA FSIS: “It’s not necessary or recommended for consumers to wash eggs.” CDC: dirty eggs “can be cleaned carefully with fine sandpaper, a brush, or a cloth.” University of Kentucky (small flocks): wash before refrigerating, with running water warmer than the egg and no immersion, then dry completely. CDC: “Throw away cracked eggs.”

How long do fresh eggs last in the refrigerator?

USDA FSIS: raw shell eggs keep 3 to 5 weeks in the refrigerator at 40°F or below.

Can I freeze eggs?

Not in the shell (USDA FSIS: “Do not freeze”). The NCHFP method: mix yolks and whites without whipping, add sugar, corn syrup or salt per cup, and freeze in containers or ice-cube trays.

What do I do with moldy animal feed?

NDSU Extension: after moldy portions are discarded, “the mold may be gone, but the mycotoxins remain in the feedstuff”; its veterinary toxicologist advises testing feed “that appears to be moldy for mycotoxins before feeding to animals.”

Where to go next

Sources