# Chicken Back Question



## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I went to Whole Foods today and bought some chicken backs. These look different than the ones I had before. The ones I had before were "Primal" brand (from a dog food store). They were just oval shaped. These ones from Whole Foods have the neck still on, I guess? Or maybe the Primal ones were just smooshed to fit into the packaging before being frozen and sold to the consumer?

So...what do I do? Do I leave the neck on or break if off? Oh..and this is a REALLY stupid question...but how do I remove the organs? How do I know what the organs are? I remove the skin too, correct?

I want to give the dogs a chicken back tonight since they are fresh from the grocery store :biggrin:


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

When I was removing organs from quarters or backs I would just use my fingers and just kinda scoop it out. The organs look like a really dark red and are kinda ooey gooey feeling. They mush real easily if you squeeze them too hard.

Yes, remove all the skin at first too. Slowly removing less and less as time goes on.

If the neck is connected and it is a whole piece I don't see the harm in feeding it all as a whole. Sounds awesome! :smile:

ETA: I got to thinking....I wonder if the back plus the neck would be too much bone all at once? Hopefully someone else will chime in....


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

You may have gotten chicken backs one time and chicken frames the other time. That may explain the difference in appearance.

You can feed your dog chicken necks if they are still attached to something. I would feed a back with a neck attached to it with no hesitation. 

The organs are usually much darker than the rest of the chicken. So you should be able to see them ok enough to remove them. I would just use my hands and pull put what I see.

Unless your dog has already experienced digestive issue with the chicken backs, I would feed them as-is. If, after feeding a meal or two, you notice loose stools or discomfort, you may want to remove the skin and fat. But I wouldn't cross that bridge unless I needed to.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Oh no - do you think what I got at Whole Foods are Chicken Frames? The bottom of them is hollow...

Do people feed chicken frames?

ETA: They said "chicken back/no water added". I assumed they were just regular chicken backs but I have NO idea about that sort of thing. I never buy meat...


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Well then it sounds like you got backs. You're probably right; the Primal ones were probably treated less than gently since they are "just dog food." Which is probably why they look so different that the ones you got at Whole Foods.

Frames and backs are essentially the same thing. The back is just that; a chicken back with most of the meat removed. A frame is the whole circumfrence of the chicken's body with most of the meat removed. The frame would be more, weight-wise. But you've got a bigger dog, so that might be a good thing. :smile: I would think people would use them to make stuff like chicken stock.

When starting out, you want meat with a very high bone ratio. Sounds like you got that. So I wouldn't worry about it. :wink:


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Okay here is a picture of tonight's "dinner". Is this a chicken back with the neck attached? Or is it a chicken frame?


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## luvMyBRT (Mar 8, 2010)

Yes, that is a chicken back with the neck still attached. They look really nice!!

ETA: I stand corrected. This is not a chicken back with the neck still attached.


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## sassymaxmom (Dec 7, 2008)

Have to disagree. That is the tail at the bottom, the pelvic bones and sacrum are the thicker bit and the top part is the thoracic part of the back. If it was a whole bird the ribs would be attached there. 

A back can be the lower part with the wide rounded pelvic bone and possibly the tail or the upper part that may have parts of the ribs attached and may include the neck of course.

Max would love this cut, it looks terrific.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

Whatever it is, Millie loved it! :biggrin:


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## Ania's Mommy (Feb 8, 2009)

Jeeze! When we were on chicken backs, they looked nothing like that! Those are awesome! Mine were tiny with almost no meat on them at all. I was robbed!! Maybe Whole Foods IS worth the price. :wink:

And yes, Sassy is right. In the middle picture you have up, that's a tail on the bottom. The top part might look like a neck because they probably took a very good amount of meat for the wings when they removed them.


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## Katie Chumlee and Shorty (Oct 22, 2010)

*Whole Foods you say?*



BrownieM said:


> Okay here is a picture of tonight's "dinner". Is this a chicken back with the neck attached? Or is it a chicken frame?


<---------Jealous....nice chicken backs


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

the chicken backs i had looked nothing like that. looks like you scored, brownie....

i do use chicken frames now, instead of backs....as time goes on, my dogs have need less bone, so frames work out very well for me...and i think the frame is the cage around the breast, if not mistaken....

for edible bone, i use pork ribs and chicken....i've stopped with turkey necks because my dogs are small, turkey necks are heavy and takes up too much food real estate


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

I know this is old - but I was at Whole Foods today buying more Chicken Backs and it turns out that _is_ a neck connected to the back! When I checked out the register said "neck and back". Interesting!


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## schtuffy (May 17, 2010)

BrownieM, did you have to order them or ask the guy at the Whole Foods meat counter? I have never seen chicken backs out for sale when I go there.


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## BrownieM (Aug 30, 2010)

schtuffy said:


> BrownieM, did you have to order them or ask the guy at the Whole Foods meat counter? I have never seen chicken backs out for sale when I go there.


They were out for sale with all of the packaged meats!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

we were shopping today and we found a chicken back and neck on sale....first time.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

strange thing.

when i went to break the back in half, it was really thick and then i looked at the package....chicken was crossed out and all it said was back and neck....couldn't have been turkey.....but i wonder why they crossed out the chicken.

it was a mother to cut in half.....


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