Feeding Bones to Birds

[Redhead Rae]

I've currently got a 20qt pot, full of water and chicken carcasses (bones, organs, skin) that I am turning into bone broth. All these bones are from my Dual Purpose birds. I've noticed that I can't seem to cook my pasture raised DP birds' bones to mush like I can with a store-bought Cx bird's bones. I used to just feed the bone mush to my chickens and it would be all gone bar a few long bone shanks. However, if I give my DP bird bones to the chickens, I just end up with whole bones thrown all over their paddock, which is a predator draw. Is there any way to process the bones after I'm done with them to make them easier for the chickens to eat and not leave them strewn all over the place? They enjoy the bones so much.

 

[Chickassan]

Besides just grinding them the only thing i know of that softens bones is apple cider vinegar. You could try a pressure cooker on them too.

 

[lazy gardener]

I believe pressure cooking might help. You could grind them. I put them in the wood stove, if I don't have too many. That at least preserves the minerals so they can be returned to the soil. I'd love to be able to turn them into bone meal.

 

[Redhead Rae]

I already put in ACV and I simmer the bones 3 times overnight. I had an electric pressure cooker, but it died. I’ll have to see if I can find the stovetop one my parents bought a while back.

 

[Chickassan]

Wow, and they're still hard? Those were some stout birds.

I already put in ACV and I simmer the bones 3 times overnight. I had an electric pressure cooker, but it died. I’ll have to see if I can find the stovetop one my parents bought a while back.

 

[junebuggena]

That's because store bought birds are processed at 6 weeks of age, and their bones haven't had a chance to properly develop. Dual purpose birds live longer, and have fully formed and calcified bones. It takes longer to cook them down. When I make stock from my dp birds, I simmer it for at least 10 hours, then let it sit overnight. Chickens get all the strained out bones, veggies, and meat for their breakfast.

 

[Redhead Rae]

Oh, I also have a wondermill jr and a hand crank meat grinder. I wonder if they will work for making bone meal.

 

[Chickassan]

That hand crank grinder should surely do it.

Oh, I also have a wondermill jr and a hand crank meat grinder. I wonder if they will work for making bone meal.

 

[RUNuts]

Other option is to compost the bones. If you are worried about predators, maybe not. I leave them in the chicken yard and they eventually disappear.

Squirrels store the deer bones that I was weathering. Took me a bit to figure that one out. Finally found a bone with rodent teeth marks. No rats. Too big for mice. Lots of squirrels though.

I've thought of smashing them bones with a hammer. The will eat the small ones.

 

[Redhead Rae]

The meat grinder did a heck of a job on the bones. The chickens love it and we are splitting it over 4-5 feedings.