[Geoff F]

At one time it was very common to hang up dead animals to deter others. Many farmers, gardeners, etc did it. I can remember when some people would hang up a dead Herring Gull to prevent others from making a mess on their boats. It didn't work and made a terrible smell, but some people were convinced that it did make a difference.

An alternative idea used by some farmers was to hang up dead animals, wild or domestic, and let maggots grow on the carcasses. The maggots would eventually fall to the ground where they were eaten by chickens. It was regarded as a way of 'feeding' dead chickens to live chickens without any risk of disease transfer.

Haven't heard of either idea being used recently but in some areas old theories still survive. There are a great many 'old wives' tales which are still believed.