So as a quick preface, I’ll say that we get/buy most of our beef products and pork butts via online vendors. We find that for about the same price we get a much better product and it’s delivered to our door, fresh from the aging room.


I was looking at chickens, turkeys and even bacon recently… But thought I would ask for your suggestions on who you like?

(Already looked at D’Artagnan. Which seems like a good product, but they charge outrageous amount for shipping.)

Idears?

I have LOVED Porter Road for pork and beef. And chorizo. And Denver steak. And shanks. Pretty much everything. Haven't tried birds yet but I bet they are good.

Very reasonable minimums for free shipping too!

Link

Are you opposed to cutting your own up?

I do 25 birds every year. Butchering day ain't a whole lot of fun, but you can't beat the meat.

You already have laying hens, raising some meat birds for seven weeks or so isn't too trying.

No help for the online source but if you have smoker, Pellet or BGE then makin' Bacon isn't that hard and a whole lot better.
I quit buying bacon and only buy pork belly, cure it in the fridge for about a week then smoke it on my BGE.
Never going back to store bought bacon.

I bought a pig belly from Cheshire Pork earlier this year. Came in about 10lbs and I turned 7lb's into bacon and used the rest for burnt ends and a few other dishes. I've never bought their own smoked bacon or other pork cuts but if it's anything like their bellies I don't see how it could be bad.

I have purchased some chicken and pork as well as some seafood from Wild Fork Foods and have been happy.

If you are shrimp consumers you can't go wrong with Biloxi Shrimp Company they have a deal right now of buy 8lbs get 2lbs free plus free shipping. You'd be surprised how fast you can go through 10lbs of shrimp. These are all wild caught USA shrimp. Not that farm raised in bacteria cess pool stuff that comes from Vietnam.

Plath’s bacon is fantastic. I have no idea about the shipping costs. Their website says they charge for a reusable cooler and gel packs when shipping to southern states in the summer.

It’s a much better deal at their store though. We paid $45 for 15 pounds.

Not birds nor bacon, but want bison? Superb eating!

I get this locally but their buffalo / bison meat mail order is ranked among the best in the nation (see article linked below *).
They also can be found in meat markets and restaurants around the country:
https://wildideabuffalo.com/pages/find-us

Wild Idea Buffalo web site
Jill was a hugely successful chef with a number of great restaurants in the area before she married Dan O'Brien and became a bison rancher / producer.

* https://www.thespruceeats.com/...-meat-online-2313886

Great suggestions, all… Even including butchering my own, however might be how my father grew up - however I did not. I’ve always butchered a plucked/gutted chicken. My wife who manages the hens for the eggs is vehemently opposed! Lol.

Keep suggestions coming in Fellers, this is great.

we just had this years crop of 38 broilers processed today. Can't beat home raised chicken.

Unlike Gustofer, I pay an executioner to do our birds. We did our own chickens as a kid. I'm not doing wet feathers ever again if I can help it.

quote:

Originally posted by Appliance Brad:
Unlike Gustofer, I pay an executioner to do our birds.

I fondly remember the first year we raised birds and dad thought that we'd process them ourselves.

It was a nightmare, and from then on out he paid an executioner to do the hard work. There was blood and feathers everywhere.

I've gotten it down to a science though. Bleed them out in a cone, dunk them in 145F water for about 30 seconds, throw them in a plucker for about 10 seconds, head off, feet off, gut, rinse and toss 'em in ice water over night. Nothing to it.

I used to bag them whole, but this year I decided to cut them up. Separate bags for breasts, other parts, and carcasses. Takes up much less room in the freezer.

Nothing better than Benton’s from the Great Smoky mountains since 1947 for real old fashion don’t need to refrigerate bacon and country ham.
The 20 month aged country ham is out of this world
Benton’s

Thanks to everyone that has posted links ! I've saved everyone one to a folder, I'm anxious now to try some of the meats.

Thanks SIGnified, great thread !