Need Tool Suggestion for Splitting Birds

[Sunny Side Up]

Quote:
The saw went through the flesh as well as the bone. When he was cutting the backbone in half he'd just saw part-way to score it, then finish with the shears.

I was reading through a book of old Dennis the Menace cartoons from the 1950s and saw a drawing of a butcher cutting through a ham with a hacksaw. This must be a good old idea. If there are any butcher shops in your area try asking them what they use for cutting apart their chickens.

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Yeah, if you've got money to spend, go with a meat bandsaw. Otherwise, poultry shears work great, and a cleaver will also work.

 

[Bossroo]

I have a commercial Hobart 220v 3 phase commercial band saw as well as a professional meat grinder available. If you are ambitous in cutting up a carcass... I can cut up a whole steer to packaging in about an hour with these babies. A chicken or turkey cut in half should take no more than a second or two. At least as fast as you can cut through a cube of soft butter. Are you listening Jeff ?

 

[EGGTASKTIC]

Rechargeable Saw-zall Works Nice. Then Wash Off And Into The Cooling Tank.

 

[petrelline]

I've had no trouble with poultry shears and a cleaver for most birds, but I had some older roosters and the breast bone all down the keel was HARD. Normally I quarter a chicken, filet the breasts off the carcass and then cut up the bones for stock, but my cleaver couldn't make it through those bones. For the older birds I'm either going to need a bigger cleaver or a friend with bigger arms.

 

[jjparke]

good heavy duty scissors (shears) work for me

 

[jaku]

Quote:
Where do you get stuff like that? I know you can get meat saws and processing equipment at Cabelas, but when it comes to power equipment, they have crap- not restaurant/butcher grade stuff.

 

[Bossroo]

I have both just sitting in my garage and looking for a new home.

 

[Brunty_Farms]

Who me? I always listen....

If you can try to find restaurant auctions, there are some online auctions too that sell the stuff from places that go out of buisness. I have a comercial grinder but not the bandsaw... I wish I had one.

The grinders are nice as you can grind 200 lbs of deer meat in like 20 minutes or so. Takes no time at all... I paid $800 bucks for it and I made my money 10 times over with it.

If your looking for something that's not too bad.... if you have a harbor freight by you check them out... they have band saws cheap, and they do work. I used one to cut up three lambs and like bossroo said... it's like cutting through butter.

Makes easy and quick work.

 

[MrDoh]

Quote:
Where do you get stuff like that? I know you can get meat saws and processing equipment at Cabelas, but when it comes to power equipment, they have crap- not restaurant/butcher grade stuff.

I have a very nice catalog from these people:
http://www.lemproducts.com/

I haven't bought or checked prices but it's fun stuff to look at until I can actually afford it/need it, so I can't comment on the quality. The stuff sure looks nice though.

Just started my first batch of 25 Cornish X from Ideal last week.