# What to do with cooked bones?



## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

So what can be done with cooked bones? I know I can feed most raw bones to my cats, dogs, ferrets, etc., and meat can be composted if it's a carefully controlled compost pile. I can grind some of the bones into bone meal and use it in gardens and as a calcium supplement, but eventually I'll probably have too many bones, since my fiance and I both adore eating meat. What else can I do with the cooked bones? I heard they can be buried in a pit, and then have a tree or bush planted above it. Does this work?


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## SheepGirl (Feb 10, 2013)

We throw them in the trash. Or if there is still meat on them we throw them out to the cats outside. They eat the bones and the meat. People say not to give animals cooked bones but we've been doing this now for 6-7 yrs and everyone (for the most part) is still here :/


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

Hmm. Well, I don't want to risk it with my pets, and I don't want to encourage wild animals to hang around my farm. I'm glad it works for you, though.


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## secuono (Feb 10, 2013)

Did that hole or just trash them.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 10, 2013)

Back to Nature said:
			
		

> Hmm. Well, I don't want to risk it with my pets, and I don't want to encourage wild animals to hang around my farm. I'm glad it works for you, though.


We don't have any wild critters around us, except for shrews and deer (and snakes), really. Haven't seen a raccoon, possum, or a skunk around here in a while. Or evidence of them. We don't have coyotes, bears, or other predators in our area (yet). But 20 miles away they have them. All the cats around tend to keep the other animals away.


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

Maybe I'll do that then, to encourage cats to hang around and keep away the mice.

I would throw them away, but part of being self-sufficient is using everything you can, in my opinion. If I can use the bones for something else I'd rather not trash them.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Feb 10, 2013)

Put them in your freezer, make stock out of them and then toss or bury them in batches. I have also given them to the chickens to play with.


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

I read online that giving chickens meat/bones encourages feather picking. Is that not true with cooked bones?


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## woodsie (Feb 10, 2013)

I agree with SuburbanFarmChick! Homemade stock is so incredible and super easy. After a roast dinner I just pull out a pot, half an onion throw a couple carrots and celery, bay leaf, s&p and a couple cloves of garlic...let simmer until bedtime. Then the next day I pull out the pressure canner and can a batch of stock....I have tried freezing stock but it always seems incovenient to use, with canned stock there is hardly a recipe I make without using some of my homemade stock and boy what a difference from that bullion junk filled with msg and other 'yuckies'. No better thing to use those old layers for...makes the BEST chicken stock/soup. I've just did a batch of lamb stock made with the lamb shanks...omg...to die for!


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## Back to Nature (Feb 10, 2013)

Well, I plan on making stock, but what about after you've made it? You're still left with cooked bones.


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## Royd Wood (Feb 11, 2013)

We get most of the cattle, lamb and pig bones back from the butcher and our customers buy them up quick for soups, stock, and the marrow


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## Back to Nature (Feb 11, 2013)

I didn't think of selling them...


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Feb 11, 2013)

We never had an issue with bones and feather plucking. I would think that more than anything else it helps prevent it because it gives them something else to do.


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## Back to Nature (Feb 11, 2013)

> We never had an issue with bones and feather plucking. I would think that more than anything else it helps prevent it because it gives them something else to do.


True. Well, when the time comes I'll try it. Or I'll try to coerce my friend into trying it; he has chickens. But his chickens are pets. I jokingly suggested eating one once. He was horrified.


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