using fresh chicken necks and the other parts that come with whole chicken

[alligande]

I feed kibble not raw, so I am looking for advice on the best use of chicken necks and the other parts that come with whole chickens. My commercial landlord is butcher and he does not sell the chicken parts with the chicken and it seems a shame that they get thrown out when I have 2 dogs waiting for tasty morsels. ( they already make out well from this arrangement, getting bones, the ends of deli meats etc.)

[njnovice]

My guys will occasionally get raw as a treat. I've heard feed it as a separate meal from the kibble, because it digests at a different rate. I'll just throw them each a chicken quarter out in the yard and let them go to town. I don't let them eat raw in the house, because they would drag it all over the place.

[juliepoudrier]

If you just don't want to feed raw, you could always boil the meat off the necks and feed them the broth and meat and throw out the bones. But I think giving them chicken necks raw as a treat would work just fine.

 

J.

[alligande]

I have no problem feeding the dogs raw bits as a treat, I just wanted to know I could... I saw those chicken gizards getting thrown out and thought that my dogs would enjoy them, I just wanted to be sure it was ok. Any suggestions on using the kidneys and liver, just chop up and throw in with the kibble?

[njnovice]

I have no problem feeding the dogs raw bits as a treat, I just wanted to know I could... I saw those chicken gizards getting thrown out and thought that my dogs would enjoy them, I just wanted to be sure it was ok. Any suggestions on using the kidneys and liver, just chop up and throw in with the kibble?

 

Yeah, it's safe to feed.

[NorthfieldNick]

Just a warning on the livers: Too much liver gives my dogs the runs. They eat about 1/2 raw, 1/2 kibble. If I give them a whole lamb liver each, they have the runs the next day, but a half a liver seems to be okay. I only feed liver once in a while anyways- the majority of livers around here go to pigs or turkeys.

 

Other than that, my boys think chicken bits (including the feet!) are great. They love chicken butchering day around here.

[arf2184]

Ditto on the liver causing runs if you give too much at once. Chicken livers are small though.

 

I give a handful of gizzards or hearts at a time.

 

I feed 100% raw....with left overs from our meals too.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

I have no problem feeding the dogs raw bits as a treat, I just wanted to know I could... I saw those chicken gizards getting thrown out and thought that my dogs would enjoy them, I just wanted to be sure it was ok. Any suggestions on using the kidneys and liver, just chop up and throw in with the kibble?

 

Little late to the party here, but if you're going to chop up the livers (don't remember the texture of kidneys) I'd freeze them and then cut them up if you insist on cutting them. I'd just chuck them in whole. Chicken livers are quite slimy and easily mashed with too much handling while raw can make a giant mess!

 

Is it common for butchers to toss that stuff in the U.S.? It does seem like such a waste...

[Sue R]

I feed small amounts of raw along with kibble, but always ease into it. We get beef hearts and livers when we butcher, and no one seems to want them, so I cut them up (freeze the majority and only keep a couple of days' worth in the fridge) and feed along with morning and evening meals. No problems with digestive issues but again, I ease into it and feed in moderation. The same goes with raw bones, as I feed less "rich" ones (like rib bones) when they are not accustomed to them, and "richer" ones (like marrow/knuckle bones) only when they are used to getting bones (and, even then, I tend to limit chew time on fresh bones to avoid overindulgence and its aftereffects).

 

PS - Dan come home from training where bones were infrequent, with quite a bit of tarter on one molar. One round of bones later (rib bone one night, marrow bone the next, knuckle bone the third - all dogs were "trading" bones round day to day), his teeth are sparkling again. Love those bones!

[alligande]

Little late to the party here, but if you're going to chop up the livers (don't remember the texture of kidneys) I'd freeze them and then cut them up if you insist on cutting them. I'd just chuck them in whole. Chicken livers are quite slimy and easily mashed with too much handling while raw can make a giant mess!

 

Is it common for butchers to toss that stuff in the U.S.? It does seem like such a waste...

 

I do not know if it is common, but he buys chickens a case at a time, so there is not enough volume of parts to package, and most customers have no interest in the parts when the buy the chicken, so in the bin they go. I also have a regular supply of lamb leg bones. He buys pre-boned legs and they come with cryovaced bones, that hardly any ones, the neighborhood dogs love me.

 

On the upside he is like all butchers and beef scraps are turned into ground beef.

 

Thanks for the advice on the chicken parts, my guys will have an occasional new treat.

 

One further question are dogs not supposed to eat chicken ONLY when cooked?

[njnovice]

One further question are dogs not supposed to eat chicken ONLY when cooked?

 

Raw chicken bones are safe for dogs. Cooked chicken bones are not safe. If you're talking about the meat, both raw and cooked are safe.

[alligande]

Thanks for everyones input - I came home from work yesterday with a pile of chicken parts, oddly there were only 2 necks out of box of 20 chickens. I thought the dogs would be thrilled to have a sprinkling of fresh raw chicken parts on their kibble, Rievaulx the youngster and the picky eater gobbled his down, Brody who normally eats anything would not touch his dinner till I removed the chicken parts, shame he is going to miss out on good healthy stuff.

[juliepoudrier]

Alligande,

Sometimes it just takes a while for them to warm up to raw food (amazing, that). I remember the first time I gave a piece of raw chicken to Boy I had to remove the skin and tear the meat into bite-size chunks before he'd consider eating it.

 

I've also found that for my picky eater if I sear a raw piece of meat (just a few seconds in the frying pan on each side) somehow makes it smell(?) better, and a piece of meat she's turned her nose up to becomes quite edible once seared.

 

Sometimes I give her a raw meal at night and she turns her nose up at it. I give her a certain amount of time and then take it away. I can then give the *exact same thing* to her the next night and she'll eat it. Go figure. (Lark eats a kibble breakfast and a raw dinner. Ranger eats a raw breakfast and a kibble dinner). In fact, chicken necks are on the menu today, with a deer shoulder thawing out for the next several days' meals....

 

J.