Canning Your Own Chicken

We raise most of our own food organically since I am admittedly anti-chemical to a point.  we use those large turkey cookers to cook perhaps a dozen chickens over night (you can use store bought chicken hopefully finding a nice sale).

Basic steps are cook until practically falling off the bone, let cool, de-bone, can the meat - see most universities canning procedures for caning meat and adjust for your altitude. 75 minutes a pint and 90 a quart. look up the pressure for your altitude.

Toss remaining skin - bones - meat stuck to bones - etc into your pressure cooker. what you want is the bones to crush easily between your fingers.

Strain broth off and can separately for you or your dogs use. Can or freeze the rest. Noting a salmon can with the sloped side make an easy to remove "hockey puck" frozen treat for your dog.  We save the canned product to mix in with some rice or barley or?  for cooking in the winter on the wood stove to give the dogs a warm treat meal.

• Increase in DCM in dogs may be linked to diet  - excerpt.
• Grain free feeds being investigated
• FDA investigating connection between canine heart disease and pet food ingredients
  
  Instances of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) may be correlated to specific ingredients in pet foods, says the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
  
  The agency is warning veterinary professionals about occurrences of the disease in dogs consuming foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, are investigating this potential association.
  
  https://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/increase-in-dcm-in-dogs-may-be-linked-to-diet/

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• “The FDA is investigating a potential dietary link between canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and dogs eating certain grain-free pet foods. The foods of concern are those containing legumes such as peas or lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes listed as primary ingredients. The FDA began investigating this matter after it received a number of reports of DCM in dogs that had been eating these diets for a period of months to years. DCM itself is not considered rare in dogs, but these reports are unusual because the disease occurred in breeds of dogs not typically prone to the disease.”
  After the advisory, 149 new cases of DCM were reported to the FDA.
  What is Dilated Cardiomyopathy?
  
  Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a type of canine heart disease that affects the heart muscle. The hearts of dogs with DCM have a decreased ability to pump blood, which often results in congestive heart failure.
  
  Some breeds, especially large and giant breeds, have a predisposition to DCM. These breeds include Doberman Pinschers, Great Danes, Newfoundlands, Irish Wolfhounds, and Saint Bernards. While DCM is less common in medium and small breeds, English and American Cocker Spaniels are also predisposed to this condition.
  
  When early reports from the veterinary cardiology community indicated that recent, atypical cases in breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Whippets, Bulldogs, and Shih Tzus all consistently ate grain alternatives in their diets, the FDA took notice.
  Should you be Concerned About Grain-Free Diets?
  
  According to Dr. Klein, “At this time, there is no proof that these ingredients are the cause of DCM in a broader range of dogs, but dog owners should be aware of this alert from the FDA. The FDA continues to work with veterinary cardiologists and veterinary nutritionists to better understand the effect, if any, of grain-free diets on dogs.”
  
  In the Dec. 1 2018 version of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN, provided an update to the research on DCM and emphasized the issue is not just grain-free diets. She calls the suspected diets “BEG” diets (boutique companies, exotic ingredients, or grain-free diets).
  
  “The apparent link between BEG diets and DCM may be due to ingredients used to replace grains in grain-free diets, such as lentils or chickpeas, but also may be due to other common ingredients commonly found in BEG diets, such as exotic meats, vegetables, and fruits,” Freeman wrote.