What to do with leftovers from slaughter?

[The Resident Nomad]

I have 5 Cornish X and I've got about 2 more weeks to go till my first slaugther (the birds are 6 weeks now)! They will be ready in time for 4th of July. I'm pretty excited about it and I've watched enough videos to feel confident that I can do it...although once I'm there with the knife holding the bird, it'll probably be a different story. So out of all the videos I watch, they never show what to do with the leftovers from slaugther, plucking or processing. What do you do with the these things:

1. Blood

2. Gizzard, Heart, Lung...can I feed these to my dogs?

3. Intestines...I'm pretty sure I can't feed this to my dog, so do I just throw it away?

4. Body parts (feet, head)

5. Feathers...trash?

Thanks!

 

[slackwater]

Everything I didn't want went straight into the trash...although we bring our own trash to the transfer station, so we were able to get rid of it pretty quickly. NOt sure what we would have done if we were more than a few days away from "pickup day."

 

[jaj121159]

I haven't cleaned a chicken yet, but lots of ducks, geese and pheasants. I always put the unwanted parts in a plastic grocery bag, squeeze the air out and tie it very tight. Then this and any others go into a garbage bag and again tied tight. If you are close to garbage day, you should be alright, but keep it away from dogs, cats and other critters. If garbage day is a couple days away put the remains in a freezer or frig. Now I live on a farm, so I burn the remains. Works very well.

 

[malignstar]

You can feed everything but intestines to the dogs/cats. Organ meats are VERY nutritious though if fed in large amounts they can cause some loose stools or possibly diarrhea. Heads are fine to feed too and feet are excellent sources of bioavailable glucosamine and chondroiten. Great for dogs with joint problems! Feathers are another throwaway.. unless you want to make a pillow out of them?

 

[scubaforlife]

Build a ring of mulch/wood shavings 4" deep, put the guts in. cover with feathers, cover with 4" of mulch/shavings.

 

[Paganrose]

I save the heart, liver, cleaned out gizzard, and neck along with any bones/skin from breaking up the chicken for broth. My mother uses the feathers for pillows and crafts, and the rest go into a plastic grocery bag in the fridge until garbage day. My mom has in the past used the ground up gizzards in stuffing to add chicken flavor. I have heard of people dehydrating the blood and using it as blood meal in the garden.

 

[Tala]

Everything except feathers and intestines go to my dogs. Dusti will come get goodies from the pan as I clean the birds

They won't eat the feathers or intestines, so they go to the trash.

you CAN make wonderful stock from the head/neck and feet parts, but I just let the dog have them. So long as it's nourishing SOMEONE in the family, it's not wasted.

 

[eKo_birdies]

head and feet to the dogs, heart/liver/gizzard go to the offal loving folks, the feathers and intestines go to the compost.

oh yea.. the blood goes to the earth below the killing station

 

[DragonEggs]

Livers and Gizzards when fried up are considered a delicacy in some places. I feed them to my dogs.

I was told by a guy who runs an e-bay shop that chicken feathers are worth a lot of money on e-bay as long as they aren't white.

 

[JohnL11935]

Intestines become fox and coon bait in all the traps I have set up around the property.