Someone once said that the only dumb question was the one that wasn't asked.. so here goes.

There has been excellent discussion and instructions about home butchering but one thing that no one ever mentions is what do you do with all the guts, blood and innards. From a chcken or turkey it wouldn't be much but from a pig or beef critter it must be a considerable amount. I don't think my local transfer station would be too happy with a trash bag full of " stuff". Thanks

Ken

-- Ken in Maine (kenjan@nh.adelphia.net), December 04, 2001

Answers

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

well,, some of the "guts" you can eat,, liver, heart,, kidneys,, ect,, blood can be saved for blood sausage,, intestines are used for casing for sausages,, stomaches, can be used for water bladders,, or, all of it can be cooked,, and used as dog food,, or,, you can feed it back to pigs,, use it as bear bait,, bury it in the compost pile,

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

Ken:

What we do up here (Alaska) is gut steers a ways away from where the skinning and quartering is done. After killing and gutting we lift the whole carcass with a front end loader and move it and skin and quarter it. Coyotes and bears clean the gut pile up in a heart beat (at night). This method keeps the meat clean, as it never touches the ground after it's gutted. If you don't have any way to keep it up, I would advise killing, gutting then dragging the carcass somewhere else to skin and quarter it on the ground, as with bear, moose, deer, etc. That involves a little cleaning work and takes longer, but.... Do you have natural predators where you are??; like bears, wolves or coyotes, ravens, bald-eagles?? All are natures garbage disposals. If you have no predators, the best thing to do would be dig a big, big hole near the gut pile and shove it all in and bury it all. We kill a steer every year and sometimes a moose. Nothing like fresh, range fed beef or a moose suasage, steaks, ribs and roasts. Hope this has helped. Good luck and good eating.

-- Roger Pettitt (rogerpettitt@hotmail.com), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

Ken, I don't do Home Butchering of my large hogs (220 - 250 lbs) or beef, I send it out to a local custom slaughter house. I do occasionly Home Butcher small (50 - 100 lbs.) BBQ hogs, goats and poultry. I go to a small area at the back of my property and take my post hole diggers and dig a few holes 3 - 4 feet deep and 18 - 20 inches wide and deposit my waste in the holes and add a small shovel full of lime. I have never had any problems with the holes being dug up by dogs or any other animals. I been depositing my waste back there for about 10 years the weeds seem to grow good there. I assume that the waste will break down and become part of the soil after time. I often wonder if 100 years from now someone will be digging back there and find all these skulls and bones and think it was some sort of animal sacrfice alter located there.

-- Mark in N.C. Fla. (deadgoatman@webtv.net), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

If you don't want to feed it to your own dogs/cats, give it to someone who BARF feeds their pets! They would be thrilled with it! To find someone in your area you can go to yahoogroups. There is a group there called BARF Suppliers. Here is the URL:

BARF Supplier Group

or you might want to try this larger group:

BARF Group

There's probably even someone in your area who would PAY you for it!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

I have to say something contrary to Stan's response regarding putting this stuff in your compost pile. If it's a garden compost pile, I wouldn't add animal guts. It will add things and critters that will complicate your garden compost mix. Is it OK to fertilize an apple tree with a dead racoon? yes, but not animal guts in the garden compost (in my opinion). Maybe someone with more compost knowledge can explain this better or let me know otherwise.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

as long as your compost heats up enough to kill all the nasties,, why not. The reason "THEY" say you shouldnt,, is it attracts critters,, and bugs,,, but if you bury it in your pile,, where the heat is,, no bugs,, no stink, no critters,, at least none that dont get in ther anyways. Thats what I do with all my gutus, / carcasses from trapping, fishing, slaughtering

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

We take ours to the land fill. Jim

-- Jim Raymond (jimr@terraworld.net), December 04, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

I've often woundered what I will do with the guts when I (some day soon when I get the nerve to) butcher something for the first time. I know the liver & heart are edible (brain too), & the intestines (at least the small ones) can be used for sausage. But, if I don't make my own sausage or have projects to use it for (stomack made into water bag, etc...), what can I do with it other then throwing it in the trash, burying (or burning) it, or composting it? Is any part of the guts totally unuseable (make you sick, toxic, etc...)? If not, could I just grind anything I don't want for dog food (or like mentioned above, do I need to avoid any certain parts)?

Thanks

animalfarms

-- animalfarms (jawjlewis@netzero.net), December 05, 2001.

Response to This might be a dumb question but here goes

Gall bladder - believe me, you do NOT want to eat the gall bladder - or even have it break and spill on anything else. You've heard of "bitter as gall"? Well, it is SO true! That can be the reason why sometimes a batch of chicken livers you buy in the shop tastes bitter.

In general, think carefully about organ meats for human consumption - they are good and taste is super-concentrated - there is nothing that tastes of beef as much as the heart muscle, and it's a fine-grained and tender meat ideal for slicing for sandwiches. One of my favourite fruit is liver, bacon and onions. However, organ meats are quite a bit higher in cholesterol than regular muscle meat. Liver is higher again, but is about the best source of dietary iron there is. In general, if you're only getting it from animals you kill, there's probably not much problem - the amounts will be moderate. You could get real problems if you were (as I did before I knew better) buying it selectively because it tasted good and was inexpensive.

EXCEPT FOR the brain. Lamb brains used to be one of my favourite foods. However, it turns out they have MUCH more cholesterol than muscle meats - I've seen some sources say 25 times and some say 400 times, but whatever it's a massive multiple. Add to that the possibility of BSE/mad cow disease/scrapie (which isn't a worry here) and I'd definitely steer clear of brains as a source of food for humans. Probably OK for animals which evolved as predators, and have shorter lifespans than do we.

Don't forget tripe as well - white meat from beef. I prefer the Chinese approach rather than the French here. Thing is, if you overcook it, it will get tough (as does liver). The French approach is to overcook it so long that it eventually gives up and gets mushy (tripe a la mode de Caen). The Chinese cut it in VERY thin slices - almost shreds - and cook for a minimal amount of time, then serve in sauce or soup.

-- Don Armstrong (from Australia) (darmst@yahoo.com.au), December 05, 2001.

If there is a custom processor in your area call them. They sell their offal to a rendering facility and may be glad to take it, including the hide, off of your hands.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), December 05, 2001.

Ken, did you notice anyone in your area this past month who had deer or moose cutting signs out? If so, go ask them what they do with their offal.

-- Sheryl in ME (radams@sacoriver.net), December 05, 2001.

Dig a "post hole" 10 inches across and about five to seven feet deep to keep critters out. Dump the guts in , cover it with a barrel lid and heavy rock. Keep the children away and let the worms do the rest.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), December 05, 2001.

feed it to you dogs...when they have had their fill then give it to the chickens and turkeys. They will gobble it right down. Oh, Ho, Ho ho...did you get it? gobble? gobble? slaps Ken on the back...ROFL!!! well..ok, forget it! Anyway (takes deep breath and composses self), I cut up and freeze in portions some of the cud from goats, sheep or cows to give to a sick (same animal) to start the flora back in their guts. Some of the parts I cut and freeze in protions to give to dogs to BARF. I dry the liver like jerkey to feed as treats to the dogs (great for training).

Did you know that the feet of the chickens and turkeys make the most flavorful broth? head cheese, pickled pigs feet, calf foot jelly, all parts of the animal can be used for something. Ok, chicken and turkey beaks have no use...do they?

-- westbrook (westbrook_farms@yahoo.com), December 05, 2001.

Yes, Westbrook, turkey beaks do have a use! :-) At least they do, so long as they are attached to the skull. When we butchered our turkeys a few weeks ago, I kept the largest head, skinned it, boiled all the meat off, cleaned it, and let it dry. We now have a turkey skull for our homeschooling science class! I may try it with a chicken next time we butcher. My daughters are fascinated with it!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), December 05, 2001.

Hey, when I was younger, my family always killed 1 hog per every adult in the family. We used brains, tongue, head, just about everything, what we could not use, we threw to the dogs and cats outside to eat. We also have coyotes that clean up pretty good around here. My husband kills deer and leaves the innards in the field where he hunts, its gone the next day. I imagine if you don't have any wooded areas around or gullies to throw things into, you would have a problem. Our dogs use deer legs as chew toys. We have a lot of buzzards around these parts too, with the fish ponds near us I saw literally hundreds sitting in the drained ponds the other day. Nothing dead lasts around here long. Your best bet would probably be a land fill.

-- Vanessa (tvhayes@aeneas.net), December 05, 2001.

When we used to raise a beef critter once in awhile, we'd bury the "remains". Haven't done beef for sometime now...easier and cheaper to buy a side of beef! We butcher at least two pigs every year and numerous chickens and turkeys. Everything that remains...I mean everything, goes way up in the back of one of our pastures in perfect alignment with my kitchen window so I can watch the crows, ravens, vultures and bald eagles "dine"!! Occasionally we'll see a fox scoot quickly by, but during the night is when the coyotes and bears come around. I know they've been eating 'cause the heaviest parts (heads, entire skin) are dragged all over. Usually, in a few weeks or so, everything is cleaned up!

-- Marcia (HrMr@webtv.net), December 05, 2001.

Thank you all for such great responses. Guess the posthole diggin' and buryin' part is what I'll end up doing. Actually I had been doing that in the past but have always wondered if there was some "better" way to dispose.

Stan had some good suggestions but after quintuple by-pass surgery in '92 and a continuing cholesterol problem I've had to leave the organ meats alone. I still have a hankerin' for some boiled or fried blood sausage but my wife rules the diet so no more good stuff.

I have also ruled out giving any of it to my dog. Many years ago I had a friend give my German shepard a moose leg bone and ultimately had to put the dog down 'cause he started chasing deer. Maybe coincidence... maybe not, but I'd rather not chance it again.

This forum is a great place to learn hopefully it will stay that way.

God Bless Ken

-- Ken in Maine (kenjan@nh.adelphia.net), December 05, 2001.

Ken, We just finished a 1100 pound holstein steer and we drug the waste parts into the field where we killed the animal and the magpies took care of the left overs We even had a golden eagle here plus some foxes, we don't kill anything during the time that we have young goats or calves about then we don't have to worry about those predators that could bother us..

Diane

-- Diane (oleoranch3@aol.com), December 05, 2001.

The plains Indians used gall as a seasoning. They dribbled it over the meat. I accidently spilled some when butchering a chicken. Just rinsed it off & it tasted fine.

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), December 06, 2001.