Pork Necks & Other Pieces

Someone asked if we feed pork neck bones, a RMB (raw meaty bone) often mentioned in the books and on the assorted raw lists.  Actually, I do not feed them, but not for any specific reason.  The dogs get ground pork occasionally if it is on sale. Very occasionally.  They like it OK and seem to do fine.  There is/was a lot of controversy about whether it is safe to feed raw pork, and arguments pro & con as to whether freezing kills the trichinosis that was the reason pork "was" always fed cooked.  I suppose that is something I should look into - is there still trichinosis (or whatever it is that causes it) in raw pork?  Does freezing kill it?  How cold and for how long?   The main reason I do not feed pork necks is probably because the bone seems too hard, a dense flinty bone.  It does not seem like "edible bone" to me, and that is what we are feeding.

Raw feeding involves the owner's "comfort level" - what YOU are comfortable feeding your dogs.  Maybe you aren't comfortable feeding raw at all, or perhaps you feed a home made cooked diet.   Perhaps you are not comfortable with any bones and feed chopped meat and a calcium/bone meal supplement, or perhaps you grind everything for your dogs.    My comfort level does not really extend to pork necks (too hard), lamb necks (too fatty), turkey wings (too large & brittle), turkey drumsticks (same as necks), and I don't particularly like feeding chicken leg quarters (large brittle bones).  I have several friends who feed the latter regularly - they are generally one of the most affordable RMBs and are often on sale for a very good price.  I've fed them, but was not comfortable doing so, at least not the big ones that are generally on sale. I'd probably feed the smaller leg quarters, and do in fact feed small chicken thighs -  very handy when traveling.

IF I had a big grinder that could handle turkey wings and leg quarters, I would probably feed both.