Grinding raw chicken (few questions)

thedude

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Howdy everyone, I am going to start grinding my own food again and have a few questions.

1. Is the Tasin TS-108 still the go to grinder for grinding chicken bones/thighs?

2. Which grinding plate do you use? I know there's a small one that's 1/8" but most other grinders only come with a larger size (4.5mm) or a bit bigger than 1/8".

3. Does anyone have their butcher grind the meat/organs and/or bone for them? I was watching a YouTube video and the lady said her Publix butcher did this for her. This would save a bit of time and mess if it was safe and available.

Thank you!
 

Tobermory

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I’m still using my Tasin and am very happy with it. It handled chicken thigh bones well. That said, I’m using boneless now and supplementing with eggshell calcium because my senior girls were struggling with constipation.

I currently have a cat on my lap, but as soon as I’m free, I’ll check to see what plate I’m using. :) I do know that I’m using the larger of the two that came with it. I just looked at the One Stop Jerky Shop, and the Tasin is now coming with three plates and three blades which is great. Mine came with two of each when I bought it two years ago.

I know that the place I buy meat would be happy to grind it for me; they’re exceptionally accommodating. But I’ve never asked them to do it because I don’t know how often they clean their grinders throughout the day. Unless I knew they scrubbed the heck out of the thing every night and mine was the first grind of the day, I’d be nervous about it. I’m so careful about grinding as quickly and efficiently as possible so that bacteria have a limited time to grow.
 

Azazel

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I also use the Tasin. Mine came with 3 plates and I use the largest one because my cats aren't picky about how small their meat is ground and prefer to chew large chunks. But, I think if you order the Tasin you should be fine with the plates that come with it.

I agree with Tobermory Tobermory that I wouldn't trust a butcher to grind the meat for me because I don't know what else has been through it and it may not be clean. Meat is sold for human consumption under the assumption that it will be cooked so maybe some butchers can get away with not being overly cleanly, but I'm like Tobermory Tobermory , I'm very particular about keeping my grinder clean.
 

kittyluv387

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Yup that tasin is just fantastic! I use the biggest plate (coarse) which is included. But I run the bone parts through it twice because it's a messy disaster to change the plate in the middle of grinding. The rest I grind just once. But I have to say I hate crushing chicken bones on this because I try to cut out the thigh bones a bit and chicken thighs are not very big so it takes a while. I'll also probably switch to boneless thighs with eggshell even though it'll be more expensive.
 

Azazel

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If you check out catinfo.org I believe Dr. Pierson has recommendations for which size plate to use with bones to ensure they are ground to a safe size (I don’t include bones in my mix either).
 
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thedude

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Thank you everyone for the replies so far! Very helpful.

I'm also considering ditching bone but my cat (who's 8 years old now) has been on bone since day 1 and not sure how she will take to eggshells or whatever other alternatives there are. She has some stomach issues so that's why I'm considering ditching the bone. I'm just not sure how common it is the have a bad reaction to egg shells vs bone. I'm very cautious after some recent horrible experiences I've had with my cat when switching foods. Not having to use bone would save me a ton of work though as I remember grinding the bone was the hardest part.

The recipe I found online that I was going to try is at: My Diet – CAT LADY FITNESS – Raw Cat Food & Apparel by Puppy the Cat
 

Azazel

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Thank you everyone for the replies so far! Very helpful.

I'm also considering ditching bone but my cat (who's 8 years old now) has been on bone since day 1 and not sure how she will take to eggshells or whatever other alternatives there are. She has some stomach issues so that's why I'm considering ditching the bone. I'm just not sure how common it is the have a bad reaction to egg shells vs bone. I'm very cautious after some recent horrible experiences I've had with my cat when switching foods. Not having to use bone would save me a ton of work though as I remember grinding the bone was the hardest part.

The recipe I found online that I was going to try is at: My Diet – CAT LADY FITNESS – Raw Cat Food & Apparel by Puppy the Cat
I have seen this lady’s videos before. The recipe she uses is fine, but it kind of irritates me that she clearly adapted the original recipe from feline nutrition but never gives any props to them (at least I never saw it in what I watched). You could also just follow the original feline nutrition recipe here: Feline Nutrition Recipe
 

daftcat75

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I use a Weston #10 manual grinder with boneless meat. I buy the whole thighs and cut the meat away from the bone myself. I freeze the meat before grinding or I'll get pink slime twirling around the auger. I started with a manual grinder because I wasn't sure Krista would go for homemade grind. I also didn't think I would like how loud the electric grinder is. And I figured if we ever got serious with our cat food making operation, I could always upgrade my equipment later once I've demonstrated the need for an upgrade. The only thing I don't like about the manual is that I have to put more than a 1 lbs of meat into the grinder to get a 1 lbs of grind since there isn't enough pressure to push the last ounce or two through the cutting plate once it gets to the end of the auger. I end up with a small amount of pink slime twirling around the blade that isn't being pushed through the plate.


Whatever I don't use for food, I toss in the Instant Pot with just enough water to cover and a half teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. I cook it under high pressure for 1 hour and strain and retain the liquid to make meat stock, a delicious and nutritious treat for Krista.
 
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