# Worms?



## Neck Collar (Sep 19, 2006)

Upon cleaning a mallard yesterday the breast meat was full of what appeared to be miniature magots no bigger than 1/4 inch. They were everywhere between the skin and the breast meat itself and less once you cut them open but still spread pretty evenly throughout the meat all the way down to the rib cage.

Anyone heard of this?

Is this worms?

Thanks guys just curious.. needless to say i didn't keep the bird.


----------



## shiawassee_kid (Oct 28, 2005)

Neck Collar said:


> Upon cleaning a mallard yesterday the breast meat was full of what appeared to be miniature magots no bigger than 1/4 inch. They were everywhere between the skin and the breast meat itself and less once you cut them open but still spread pretty evenly throughout the meat all the way down to the rib cage.
> 
> Anyone heard of this?
> 
> ...


ricebreast, google it.


----------



## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

they are called sarcocysts (sp) harmless to people, but those are eagle food down here..


----------



## TheDrake (Apr 20, 2009)

I shot a few Mallards 2 seasons ago that had that rice breast.
Ugly looking to say the least,unappetizing,but supposedly harmless to eat if cooked to well done temps :roll:


----------



## Neck Collar (Sep 19, 2006)

Thanks guys, I googled it and the description sounds about right! :beer:


----------



## sodakhunter13 (Feb 2, 2007)

Shot a green winger with it last week. First time I've run into it!


----------



## pinfeather (Nov 3, 2007)

I have cleaned a couple birds with it the last few years.. I chose to not eat them. I hear now that it is not harmful to us, but not very appetizing...


----------



## Sask hunter (Sep 11, 2008)

I don't know how anyone could even think of eating that. that's enough to make a dog puke.


----------



## Neck Collar (Sep 19, 2006)

Sask hunter said:


> I don't know how anyone could even think of eating that. that's enough to make a dog puke.


Agreed!


----------



## sodakdecoyer (Oct 6, 2009)

the 5 nicest greenheads we shot all weekend had them, they were all outta the same flock to, does anybody know how contagious it is to spread to other waterfowl?


----------



## weasle414 (Dec 31, 2006)

sodakdecoyer said:


> the 5 nicest greenheads we shot all weekend had them, they were all outta the same flock to, does anybody know how contagious it is to spread to other waterfowl?


I've never heard about it until now but I would assume it's from bad food sources or nesting, maybe?


----------



## possumfoot (Nov 7, 2006)

its a parasite that lays eggs in shallow water.. they are then ingested when feeding


----------



## ndoutdoorsman (May 13, 2004)

2 of us went out tonight and shot 9 mallards, the biggest drake out of all them had that too. I chose not to keep the meat off that one, didnt look like somehting i would want to cook and eat.


----------



## MSDeltaDuckHunter (Jul 22, 2009)

Sask hunter said:


> I don't know how anyone could even think of eating that. that's enough to make a dog puke.


Don't tell me you've never heard of duck and rice before lol!

We see some every year with them. Some years one species will be bad about having them and the next year another species will be eaten up with them. Gadwalls and wood ducks seem to be the worst.


----------



## laviii (Mar 6, 2008)

Last seasons I had 2x Black ,1x Mallard ducks that had Rice Breast .Out in the woods for Foxs or dogs food.


----------

