Post by katt on Jan 6, 2015 4:40:49 GMT -5
A video of me splitting a chicken into meal sized portions for my ferrets using my Ulu. Unfortunately my ulu is rather dull (disclaimer: keep your knives sharp, dull knives are dangerous!) so it takes a bit more work than usual. You can use this butchering approach with any cutting device though. I have personally found through a lot of trial and error that this is the most effieicnt way to do it. 
Step 1: Remove wings and legs
Step 2: quarter the torso (smaller birds like CGH I find it easier to cut the spine first then halve the top and bottom pieces, bigger birds I prefer splitting the ribs up the side and separating the collar bones from the shoulder blades, and then cutting the front and back pieces into half. It's really whatever is easiest.)
Step 3: cut the torso quarters into meal sized chunks and bag them; on bigger birds like duck and turkey I will also sometimes cut the spine up a little to give them a startig point on the thicker bones
Step 4: take care of the legs and wings - I crack the large, weight bearing bones as well as any large joint-ends so they can eat them, on wings I smash the humerus (upper arm/wing bone) if it's a big bird, and score the skin so they can tear into the meat underneath easier bc my boys are lazy turds and it reduces waste. Otherwise I just bag up the legs and wings.
Step 5: once everything is in meal or day sized portions, freeze and enjoy!
I prep all whole birds and whole rabbits the same basic way. It works really well, and buying whole animals is WAY more cost effective than pre-split meat.
My phone ran out of space and cut off at the end but you get the gist. After the end of the video I cut the other half of the torso into two (so it was quartered) and then split it all into meal sized chunks. I also smash the larger bones (leg bones, humerus/upper wing bone) and joint ends so they can get a start on those.
Step 1: Remove wings and legs
Step 2: quarter the torso (smaller birds like CGH I find it easier to cut the spine first then halve the top and bottom pieces, bigger birds I prefer splitting the ribs up the side and separating the collar bones from the shoulder blades, and then cutting the front and back pieces into half. It's really whatever is easiest.)
Step 3: cut the torso quarters into meal sized chunks and bag them; on bigger birds like duck and turkey I will also sometimes cut the spine up a little to give them a startig point on the thicker bones
Step 4: take care of the legs and wings - I crack the large, weight bearing bones as well as any large joint-ends so they can eat them, on wings I smash the humerus (upper arm/wing bone) if it's a big bird, and score the skin so they can tear into the meat underneath easier bc my boys are lazy turds and it reduces waste. Otherwise I just bag up the legs and wings.
Step 5: once everything is in meal or day sized portions, freeze and enjoy!
I prep all whole birds and whole rabbits the same basic way. It works really well, and buying whole animals is WAY more cost effective than pre-split meat.
My phone ran out of space and cut off at the end but you get the gist. After the end of the video I cut the other half of the torso into two (so it was quartered) and then split it all into meal sized chunks. I also smash the larger bones (leg bones, humerus/upper wing bone) and joint ends so they can get a start on those.
