# Whole Chicken Legs vs Chicken Backs



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

I currently feed two adult boxers a raw diet. Their primary bone sources are whole chicken legs and turkey necks. I was speaking to a boxer breeder recently and she suggested I switch from legs to chicken backs. She knows other boxer people who have had serious issues with feeding legs so she recommends backs now.

My questions are…

Have any of you had any problems with feeding whole legs?

Have any of you had any problems with feeding backs?

I can tell there’s not much meat on the back so I’m assuming that I’d need to add extra meat to back meals. Is that what you do?

Lastly, when feeding just backs (not as part of a whole carcass) do you remove the rib bones? I’ve seen mixed feelings on if those should be removed prior to feeding or not.


----------



## doggiedad (Jan 23, 2011)

my dog gets a 4oz ground beef pattie with his kibble sometimes.
i've given him raw chicken backs with no problem.


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

What 'serious' issues exactly have they had with feeding legs? By legs, I presume they mean quarters? If they are talking about drumsticks, maybe they're talking about a choking hazard? You and we need more information to understand what the problem is. 
Backs have an awful lot of bone, that's why they are used when transitioning to PMR.
I rarely feed backs, but my dog has been on raw for nearly 6 years or so now. If there is diarrhea from whatever reason, then yes, that's what they get, but very, very seldomly. 
And yes, if I fed backs as the bone portion of the meal, they'd be getting an awful lot of boneless meat along with it.
I feed chicken quarters quite often. Never had any problems whatsoever so I'm really not sure why that breeder is so against them.


----------



## Mandy (Aug 30, 2012)

All she said was that she knew several boxer people who had issues with feeding legs and it resulted in surgery. She feels that chicken legs are too dense bone wise since it's a weight bearing bone. I understand that thought, but at the same time it's a chicken leg, not a cow leg so the bone shouldn't be too hard I wouldn't think.


----------



## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

Seriously? Weight bearing bone of what, a 2lb bird? I can understand maybe turkey legs, I've heard of a few people having issues with those, not that I ever have though. But, I've never ever heard of a dog having issues with chicken quarters. Seriously, I wouldn't worry about it. The normal problem with weight bearing bones of animals that weigh thousands of pounds like cows is the density of the bones can break teeth, that's all. Honestly, if there was a problem I'd have heard about it by now. My dogs are 40lbs and 23lbs and get chicken quarters probably 2 to 3 times a week, for the past 6 years. Seriously, I wouldn't worry in the slightest.


----------



## Herzo (Feb 5, 2011)

First of all, you kill me Penny................that made me chuckle out loud. I feed legs all the time, for some reason it is easier for me to get packages of legs and thighs. I don't find quarters so much. I give them to all 4 of my dogs even the Turtle my basset hound whom weighs 45 lbs can eat them with no problem.


----------



## _unoriginal (Apr 8, 2012)

I'm sorry but that breeder sounds more than a little nutty. I have a 58# bulldog that eats chicken quarters on a regular basis. We've never ever had an issue with them. From the sounds of it, it's as if the breeder is worried about a blockage with quarters/legs? I've been raw feeding for almost 2 years and we've never had a problem with blockages. The only bone we've ever actually had an issue with was a pork rib. No blockage though, just came out undigested.

If I can cut it with a knife (not a saw) then it's not too dense.

I wouldn't worry about chicken ribs either, they're not going to hurt your dog. As stated, if anything you'll need to increase your boneless meats because carcasses and backs are just a TON of bone. My dog requires more bone than the PMR guidelines call for but that's why they're called guidelines. Nothing is set it stone.


----------



## TanktheMastiff (Mar 24, 2013)

Tank the mastiff is 19 months old, 125 pounds & has never had a problem with chicken leg quarters. Never feed her backs as leg quarters are so cheap in my area.


----------



## KC23 (Nov 17, 2010)

I started out with backs, and that was it. I've been feeding drumsticks, thighs and leg quarters to 3 different sized dogs for almost 3 years without any problems. For the money, I'd rather buy the leg quarters and drumsticks. My dogs never seemed thrilled with the backs, and they would set them down like they didn't really want to eat them. They are never like that with the other chicken pieces.


----------



## bully4life (Aug 9, 2010)

Ive been raw feeding for just under 12 years with 4 dogs in the process.In that time, Ive purchased roughly 12,000 POUNDS of leg quarters. Ive never even had a scare with leg quarters. I did have a scare once with a turkey leg about 7 years ago. My puppy broke off the condyle and wasn't able to swallow, after about 30 seconds she puked it out, i grabbed it and tossed it out. But chicken,,,never a problem.


----------



## mrs_rod2013 (Dec 13, 2013)

My dog gets a chicken leg quarter for dinner every night, never had any problems. He is a 13wk old pitbull mastiff


----------



## NZ Raw (Sep 14, 2011)

(still chuckling over weight bearing bones) When my dog was a puppy (2-8 months)he was feed mostly chicken backs to live off without a problem, I changed his diet when I got him for obvious reasons but he does get chicken drums every once and a while now. My cat is also feed chicken drums, she has no problem crunching through and digesting those bones.


----------

