I have NEVER handled a whole chicken, even when I was buying commercially raised chicken, so when I cooked my very first meatie in the crockpot yesterday I was horrified when dismembering it this a.m. to find all of the vertebrae(?) falling into the meat. I was seperating the dark meat for soup/bbq sandwiches and had to go thru teaspoon after teaspoon of flesh looking for bones and other disgusting grissely things. maybe I shouldn't crockpot a whole chicken? sorry-I am just rambling but I was surprised at all of the work(I will STILL eat only my own chickens but maybe cook differently?) all the grossness aside the chicken tastes WONDERFUL.