Understanding Rotten Flesh in 7 Days to Die

Rotten flesh is one of the many items players will frequently come across while scavenging the zombie apocalypse world of 7 Days to Die. This consumable item has some important uses effects, and properties that are good to understand if you want to survive and thrive in the game. In this article we’ll take a closer look at rotten flesh – where to find it, how to use it, and what you need to know before eating this dubious “food” item!

What is Rotten Flesh in 7 Days to Die?

Rotten flesh is exactly what it sounds like – the decaying flesh torn from zombie corpses. You can obtain rotten flesh by killing and looting zombie dogs, bears, and vultures. It can also be harvested from random carcasses and body bags scattered about the 7 Days to Die world.

Rotten flesh is categorized as a food item in the game, but consuming it comes with some negative effects. It provides a meager amount of food/fullness when eaten, but reduces health and stamina. So why would anyone eat rotten flesh? Desperate times call for desperate measures during the zombie apocalypse!

Effects of Eating Rotten Flesh

Here are the effects you can expect when consuming rotten flesh in 7 Days to Die:

• Grants only 1 point of fullness

• Reduces health by 3 points

• Reduces maximum stamina by 1 point

• Causes a 12% chance of contracting dysentery

Dysentery is a harmful affliction that causes food and water to provide fewer benefits. So beyond the small fullness gain, rotten flesh can easily do more harm than good if you get unlucky with dysentery. Only eat it as an absolute last resort!

Rotten flesh also causes 3 points of hydration loss when consumed. This is salt in the wound when you’re already hungry and health-deprived. Overall, rotten flesh is considered one of the worst food items in 7 Days to Die.

Uses for Rotten Flesh

While no one wants to eat rotten flesh, it does have some beneficial uses:

Crafting Recipes

Several 7 Days to Die recipes call for rotten flesh as an ingredient:

• Can of Sham (food item)
• Farm plot (for growing crops)
• Fort Bites (food item)
• Hobo Stew (food item)

So keeping some rotten flesh in storage can be useful for crafting, even if you’d never eat the nasty stuff.

Selling for Money

Rotten flesh can be sold to traders for a meager sum. Traders will buy it for 1 coin, while charging 15 coins if you want to buy it back. So it provides a small bit of income potential.

Killing Zombie Dogs

An interesting fact about rotten flesh in 7 Days to Die is that it can be used to kill zombie dogs! When thrown on the ground, zombie dogs will eat the rotten flesh. They’ll die after consuming 3-5 pieces. Not the most efficient killing method, but a good last resort if you’re overwhelmed by zombified animals.

Tips for Obtaining Rotten Flesh

Now that you know the effects and uses of rotten flesh, here are some tips for collecting more of it in 7 Days to Die:

• Loot garbage piles, bags, and dumpsters – rotten flesh is common in urban trash heaps.

• Search refrigerators in kitchens of houses – you’ll frequently find rotten flesh stored inside.

• Kill zombie dogs, bears, and vultures – loot their corpses for a guaranteed rotten flesh drop.

• Check sinks in bathroom, piles of gore, and meat bags – rotten flesh sometimes spawns in these locations.

• Scout desert and wasteland biomes – these zones contain more animal carcasses to harvest.

• Clear camps, cabins, and rural buildings – hunt zombie animals in the surrounding areas.

With some targeted looting and hunting, you’ll stock up on rotten flesh reserves quickly. Having a steady supply is handy for trading, crafting, and emergency food if you’re ever desperately low on grub.

History of Rotten Flesh in 7 Days to Die

Some interesting notes on the history of this item in the 7 Days to Die alpha versions:

• Rotten flesh was added in Alpha 10 as part of the cooking system.

• In Alpha 17, it became an ingredient for crafting Hobo Stew and Fort Bites.

• Alpha 18 made rotten flesh required for crafting farm plots.

• In Alpha 19, rotten flesh no longer causes food poisoning. This was replaced by the dysentery mechanic.

So rotten flesh has been through some changes over the years. The mechanics of food affliction caused by it have been tweaked, but it’s remained a staple horror-survival item since the early alpha releases.

Don’t Underestimate Rotten Flesh!

At first glance, rotten flesh may seem like a useless item to be avoided in 7 Days to Die. But now you understand its potential purposes, effects, and how to obtain more. Having a stash can be beneficial for trading, emergency food, and crafting useful items.

Just be cautious before consuming rotten flesh – it may temporarily ease your hunger pangs, but doubling over from dysentery won’t do you any favors in the zombie apocalypse! Use rotten flesh strategically alongside less stomach-churning food sources.