Same species feeding

Last updated 6 August 2020

Same species feeding is common in Australia. That is, dead birds are collected, rendered and added to feed that is given to chickens to eat. Other animals that could be in the feed include pigs and turkeys. The practice of using slaughterhouse waste and deceased animals in feed mixes was implicated in the development of the prion disease Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) or Mad Cow's Disease which can affect humans who eat the meat.