Does anyone else butcher their own meat?

[frustratedearthmother]

My dogs won't touch bird intestines. Dunno why, but they'll gobble up just about everything else. They especially love testicles Chicken or quail...they scarf 'em up like candy.

 

[NH Homesteader]

@baymule do you know what the percentage of finished weight to live weight is for lambs? I remember thinking it was pretty low.

My 3 year old daughter was studying our butchering reference book, complete with pictures. Asking what each picture was of. Lol

 

[lcertuche]

I butcher my chickens as needed. If I ever get a pressure canner I will process them all at once and get it done but right now I'm trying to get away from depending so much on the freezer. I have butchered deers too, but it's been a few years. I would rather butcher any animal than send it out. I am too cheap to spend that kind of money. I did once buy a 1200 pound cow once from a neighbor. We sent it out to be processed and ended up with about 200 pounds of processed meat. We split the cost of the beef and processing with 2 other friends. It was a tough old cow that I wished we had canned instead of freezing.

 

[baymule]

My dogs won't touch bird intestines. Dunno why, but they'll gobble up just about everything else. They especially love testicles Chicken or quail...they scarf 'em up like candy.

I with hold feed the day before, and the intestines and crop are empty. But let's face it, I have sh*t eating dogs!

@baymule do you know what the percentage of finished weight to live weight is for lambs? I remember thinking it was pretty low.

My 3 year old daughter was studying our butchering reference book, complete with pictures. Asking what each picture was of. Lol

I wound up with about 40% meat (hanging weight) from live weight. That does not include heart, liver or soup bones. I think if I had done my own butchering, I would have had more useable organ meats and bones that got thrown away at the slaughter house.