Butchering This Week and NOT Going to Gut....

[ShadyHoller]

But think of all the giblets you are throwing away! Think of the chicken stock for making delicious soups! The deep-fried gizzards! The marinated and grilled heart shishkabobs! The liver pate! The fat for frying potatoes in! (There's nothing better than spuds fried in chicken fat!)

I shudder to think of throwing all those goodies away. In my book, one of the main reasons to grow your own chickens is so you get the whole chicken.

Everyone is entitled to their own dietary preferences, but that seems like a waste to me.

 

[EweSheep]

Ive done this with my Blue Orp roo culls, it was cold that day and my Dad and I unzipped the chest feathers, carefully not to poke the abdomen, and filet the breasts off. You can take off the wings and legs off without even gutting the bird. Yep, we are skinless and boneless kind of folks! However my Dad loves the dark meat but those young roos didn't have much meat in the backside so it was tossed in the garbage.

 

[Salt and Light]

Just done butchering 15 Freedom Rangers. All were cut off the carcass, leaving the guts intact. My son removed the gizzard on several birds. Went well, I think it takes slightly longer but not enough to make a difference. Pieces were vacuum sealed as follows: 4 skinless breasts /bag, 3 leg 1/4's per bag and 6 wings/bag. Lot's of fresh meat in the fridge that will be in the freezer later tonight...

 

[foxhomechickens]

"I'm planning on putting up a game cam at the gut dumping site just to see what exactly does visit at night..."
Great idea!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
not considering waste.. if you are not going to eat it, I guess it is not considered waste..

but if it takes longer to do it without gutting, then I don't see any advantage..

If you are not particular what the carcass looks like, do not try to gut the bird through the small picky cut..

cut the bird along the edge of the rib cage starting at the spine and cutting along the edge of the rib cage to the spine on the other side.. then break the chicken in half and lift out the guts..

 

[Bossroo]

The only thing that I don't utilize is... the SQUACK

everything else can and will be utilized.

waste not, whant not !!!

 

[deerman]

Quote:
Well you will find all kinds of predators, that you are growing. Feeding their young.........Future ones to kill and eat live chicken , maybe your or someone anyway.

 

[jcatblum]

There was a thread on here this summer, or shortly after that linked another site that showed how to process without gutting, but I can't seem to find it. Does anyone else remember the thread? Thought I saved it in my favorites but can't find it now.

 

[annageckos]

My dogs doesn't get to eat any of this uncooked, as I don't want him chasing and killing my regular birds. To each their own.

This is a myth. Feeding a dog raw meat will not make it go and kill that type of animal. Some dogs do have a higher prey drive then others, regardless of what they eat. Here is a great example. I feed my dogs 100% raw. Whole prey when I can. My German Shepherd and Basset Hound both have eaten plenty of whole rabbits( also squirrels and groundhogs), skin, hair, head and all, minus the intestinal tract. But when confronted with a rabbit they show no aggression or prey drive towards it at all. I can let smaller animals run all over both of them and other then a little sniffing they don't bother it. In fact I raised a orphaned squirrel who use to jump on the shepherds back and go for rides. It's all a matter of knowing your dog. Some raw fed dogs have a high prey drive, some don't. Some kibble fed dogs have a high prey drive, some don't.

 

[Oregon Blues]

There is no point in saving anything you know you won't use.

Me, I am serious about cooking and I want the carcass for broth and I want the fat. I separate all the wings and freeze them in large batches to make Buffalo wings. All the innards except the intestines get fed to the dogs. Feathers go into the compost pile.

I don't save the feet or heads. I did do the whole skin the feet and make broth thing, one time. Been there, done that, l know I can do it, probably won't do it again. Feet get thrown out.