I've been looking for a good source for bulk purchases of RMBs like chicken backs or necks but everything I see online has included ridiculously prohibitive shipping prices. We don't live near any big cities or chicken slaughterhouses and I'm not sure how to go about restaurant suppliers. Any suggestions for economical online sources? Thank you!

I know you said "online," but have you talked with the butchers at regular local supermarkets?

The butcher is probably not receiving parts to sell, IME. He is probably dealing with whole birds.

One common way to butcher the whole carcass is into halves or quarters. This, of course, does not separate the back into a separate part and doesn't offer us raw feeders a chance to get "just backs."

But the other most common butchering (and IME, most supermarkets do both) is the 10-piece cut (like this : http://www.finecooking.com/item/18461/how-to-cut-a-whole-chicken-into-pieces ). This cut leaves the backs as a separate piece, not included in the relatively expensive 10-piece cut.

You'll get more replies. I bring up this aspect because my favorite source turned out to be the butcher at a local natural-foods store who agreed to set aside his chicken backs in a big plastic bag in his freezer for me to pick up once a week.

And they are backs from organic Smart Chicken from Tecumseh Farms!

I make it as easy for them as I can ... I come to the store the day he calls, at the least busy time of day, etc. And I'm a loyal customer, buying my fish, etc., from their cases.

Just to explain that developing a friendly relationship with a butcher can be very rewarding to raw feeders.



Anne and Tracy and others will have excellent suggestions, too, when they see the thread.

Our farmer's market has a butchery that will order cases (neck, back, heart, etc) for you. I have asked in the local supermarkets and unfortunately all their poultry comes in preprocessed.

 Quote: Kristin Muntz

Our farmer's market has a butchery that will order cases (neck, back, heart, etc) for you. ....

A significant part of my raw stuff comes from our farmers' market, too.

The fishermen sell (for cheap) the ragged trim from filleting the fish they sell ... they call it "cat food."

The produce farmers GIVE away the trimmings, the outer leaves, and the leftovers of their fresh produce just at closing (of course, I tip them).

Typically, this is the dark green outer Romaine leaves and the bruised zucchini and other summer squashes .... these are both excellent additions to the mush I mix with the green tripe (or sometimes it's just one or the other).

And the lamb ranchers sell their scraps (they call them "dog food"), also for cheap. Of course, this kind of source has to be considered muscle meat, not RMBs.

I almost forgot!

A big supermarket chain that has stores here has twice-a-year sales on what they call Rock Cornish game hens.

If you have a freezer, these are terrific! Stock up, even for small dogs!

Go to local harvest.org, type in your zip code to find farmer markets near you. Find a CSA
(community supported agriculture) ,and like Connie said make friends.

Costo sells whole chicken 2 per package for .99 a lb. At least they were a few months ago. A friend told me that if she buys a case at a time & they sell them at .89 lb. Of course you will have to cut them up yourself...but that's not that big a deal. You are looking to feed the whole prey model...so they are perfect.

I buy most of my RMBs & muscle & organ meat from a restaurant wholesaler. I buy 40 lb cases of fresh chicken back, necks, leg Qtrs, duck necks, gizzards, livers, 10lb rolls of ground beef, turkey, 10 lb pkgs of pork, cases of pork necks & marrow bones etc. Call around...go on line to the raw feeders web sites & ask where folks are getting their 'stuff'. Some may be willing to split cases if you don't have freezer space for whole cases. I pick them up in the morning (usually 200 + lbs) & come home & package it for the freezer in enough for a couple of meal bags of RMBs & separate bags for the muscle meats & the organ meats. A friend helps me & we have it down to a science & it only takes us 1 1/2 hours to do it all. That is enough for my 1 GSD for about 3 months.

I would suggest getting a good size freezer if you don't have one. If you purchase from a supplier they only sell in case lots.

Sometimes small butcher shops will order cases for you. Also try a restaurant...see if they will order a case of backs for you. They used cases of fresh backs all the time for stock all the time.

Just call every where. I travel almost an hour away to get mine. Not a big deal since I usually only go every 3 months.

Some wholesalers require that you have an state business license (TIN #) to sell TO YOU. I do have my own business so it was no problem...but where I go I didn't need to have one. One of the head buyers there feed raw to his dogs & will sell to raw feeders. Super nice man & he has quite a following of raw feeders that keep referring others to him.

Good luck.

If I were you, I would abandon the search for an online source if you're trying to do this economically. As you've found, the shipping costs for meat are crazy.

Instead, focus on a brick-and-mortar resource close to you. Where do you buy your own groceries? Start there. Talk to the meat department manager and tell him that you want to special-order cases of chicken parts. His supplier can get them. Every chicken slaughtered had backs as well as breasts--even if most grocery cases only have the breasts in them. Just ask.

If that doesn't work, try another grocery store. Generally, the smaller the grocery store (mom and pop) the better your luck will be. I've had the best luck in ethnic grocery stores--stores in neighborhoods that cater to African-Americans, Latinos, Asian immigrants. These are stores that are already familiar with these cheaper cuts of meat. Big national chain stores in the "nice" neighborhood are less likely to be helpful.

Somewhere within a 100 mile radius from you there is a grocery store with a meat-department manager who will work with you--and be happy for the business. Even with a drive to get there, it will be much cheaper than paying for shipping.

Sams Club and Costco also sell meat by the case price. Whole chickens will be pretty reasonable there (but still not as cheap as when you find somebody that will sell you a case of chicken backs.)

As Ann mentioned, a restaurant food supply company is another possibility. Do you know anybody that has a small restaurant in your town? Ask them where they order their meat. Chicken backs are a pretty common restaurant commodity--they make chicken stock out of them.

That's what I get typing late at night...I have 2 GSDs.

Also might try to reach out to some local working dog clubs...OPO/SchH, French Ring, Mondio, PSA, as many of these owners are most likely feeding raw diets. Also local working line GSD & Mal breeders...as many of them also feed raw.

As Tracy said, my best results came from small establishments (except the twice-a-year sale at Safeway on tiny hens for a dollar).

Never would I have expected the great deal I have on backs at a small natural foods store, where the prices are necessarily high (a little local store has very little buying power).

So asking everyone and befriending butchers is a very good start.

(Online has never yielded cost-friendly results for me for the basic RMBs because of the weight added to the refrigeration necessity -- which trigger wild shipping costs.)