# 40 LBs of Chicken Backs in a bit gross!



## GoldenGirl (Mar 31, 2010)

OK - so I picked up my first order of chicken backs yesterday. I got 40 pounds for $14, which I thought was a great deal :biggrin:

Then I got it home and heave hoed it out of my car (yes, it was heavy and the box was wet) and opened it up. Ugh - it took me almost a half hour to bag it and clean up. Did it on my lunch hour - which wasn't the smartest thing to do 

Koda was so entranced with the smell, I thought he was going to have a cow. Can't wait to see what he does when he actually gets to eat it.

Day 1 of raw feeding - T minus 17 hours and counting!

- Jean


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

Yeah, unloading a bunch of meat is the worst part of raw feeding...but hey, I find that its worth it 100%. Considering I only have to do what once every few months I don't mind it much. Soon enough you will think of it as second nature.

Keep us updated on the progress!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

i buy it that way also for my two dogs....40 lbs at a time...

except i'm taking the skin off and cleaning any and all organ meat off and taking extra fat off...

does anyone else have to do that or is it just the 'special' ones like my dogs who don't tolerate the skin and fat so well?


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

I don't and haven't ever needed to...your dogs are just special :wink:

Have you tried leaving a TINY bit more fat/skin on and see how it goes?

The ultimate goal should be to get them able to eat a whole chicken back that doesn't have to be "cleaned up" because the skin and extra fat is where the dogs derive most of their burnable energy from...


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## xxshaelxx (Mar 8, 2010)

GoldenGirl said:


> OK - so I picked up my first order of chicken backs yesterday. I got 40 pounds for $14, which I thought was a great deal :biggrin:


That's a flipping FANTASTIC deal!!! XDDD

Anyways, good luck! My first time separating chicken took me three HOURS!!! That was a loooooooooong night. hahaha. Which reminds me, I need to go pick up salmon heads!!! EEP! And separate/cut up/bag up meats. hahaha.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

danemama08 said:


> I don't and haven't ever needed to...your dogs are just special :wink:
> 
> Have you tried leaving a TINY bit more fat/skin on and see how it goes?
> 
> The ultimate goal should be to get them able to eat a whole chicken back that doesn't have to be "cleaned up" because the skin and extra fat is where the dogs derive most of their burnable energy from...


they are just entering their second week.....so not yet...

but the next round of food has a little bit more skin and fat on....just a little bit.....i'm going to take them very slowly....

i don't want to do it this way, but cleaning up cannon butt is not my idea of a good time...LOL

and i so want them to succeed this time....cooking for them is very time consuming...far more time consuming than raw....even with having to clean fat and organ and skin off...


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

GoldenGirl said:


> Then I got it home and heave hoed it out of my car (yes, it was heavy and the box was wet) and opened it up. Ugh - it took me almost a half hour to bag it and clean up. Did it on my lunch hour - which wasn't the smartest thing to do


Just wait until you get to more fun things:

http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/2899-beef-head-meat.html

I find it fun. :biggrin:



magicre said:


> does anyone else have to do that or is it just the 'special' ones like my dogs who don't tolerate the skin and fat so well?


Well surprisingly, my Boston was the only one that I didn't have to trim for. When my boyfriend's Husky started out we had to remove any excess fat and skin or deal with the awesome cannon butt, and now I'm having to do the same with the GSD (as you know :wink.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

harrkim120 said:


> Just wait until you get to more fun things:
> 
> http://dogfoodchat.com/forum/raw-feeding/2899-beef-head-meat.html
> 
> When my boyfriend's Husky started out we had to remove any excess fat and skin or deal with the awesome cannon butt, and now I'm having to do the same with the GSD (as you know :wink.


i think, once i can stop trimming so much, it will be so much faster and easier to prep their meals.....

glad all is going well


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Geez, got me thinking I still have that case of chicken backs in my freezer my dogs won't touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> Geez, got me thinking I still have that case of chicken backs in my freezer my dogs won't touch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


how long have you had them......and i'd be willing to take them off your hands. my dogs love them.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

Over a year, but they've been in the freezer the whole time.


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## magicre (Apr 7, 2010)

whiteleo said:


> Over a year, but they've been in the freezer the whole time.


that's quite a while....wouldn't they have freezer burn by now?

i think i'll pass, but now that you've brought it up....what IS the length of time frozen that would be safe for dogs....

as a human, i don't think i'd eat year old frozen food, but what about dogs?

sorry to 'jack the thread.


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## DaneMama (Jun 27, 2008)

magicre said:


> that's quite a while....wouldn't they have freezer burn by now?
> 
> i think i'll pass, but now that you've brought it up....what IS the length of time frozen that would be safe for dogs....
> 
> ...


Freezer burn is harmless as far as nutrition content goes. Freezer burn just makes meat tough and a bit reduced in flavor because a freezer sucks out moisture. Otherwise its just fine to feed. We actually post an ad on craigslist all the time asking to clean out people's freezers for them. So far we have gotten probably close to 1000 pounds, no joke. Our last "haul" was from someone who used to raw feed and couldn't anymore for some reason. We got probably close to 350 pounds of meat for $100, all different kinds including a WHOLE leg of lamb! A lot of that meat is freezer burned and I wouldn't eat it, but the dogs don't mind one bit. There have been a few things that I have thrown away that were like 10+ years old though, its funny what people will keep around for so long


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## rawfeederr (Sep 9, 2009)

That's like an awesome deal 

And yeah, unloading a ton of meat SUCKS. But it's worth it!


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## Spaz (Sep 3, 2009)

danemama08 said:


> Freezer burn is harmless as far as nutrition content goes. Freezer burn just makes meat tough and a bit reduced in flavor because a freezer sucks out moisture. Otherwise its just fine to feed. We actually post an ad on craigslist all the time asking to clean out people's freezers for them. So far we have gotten probably close to 1000 pounds, no joke. Our last "haul" was from someone who used to raw feed and couldn't anymore for some reason. We got probably close to 350 pounds of meat for $100, all different kinds including a WHOLE leg of lamb! A lot of that meat is freezer burned and I wouldn't eat it, but the dogs don't mind one bit. There have been a few things that I have thrown away that were like 10+ years old though, its funny what people will keep around for so long


I do the same thing well actually today was the first time. I posted an ad on freecycle the other day. Today I picked up a whole bunch of meat from this woman for free. She gave me a 20 pound turkey that had been sitting in her freezer for a year plus lots of other stuff. Some of it was over 2 years old. My dog is not very picky so I'm sure she'll love it freezer burnt or not! :smile:


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## harrkim120 (Feb 2, 2010)

:frown:

I've posted ads around here, and no one has anything. However, I did find out about this cool market with cheap meat that someone replied telling me about. So I guess it's not a total loss.


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