I’m always trying to find ways to make things instead of purchasing them. I sometimes buy bone meal for the garden. I like to use it when I plant garlic, onions and other bulbing plants. I don’t like to buy the stuff at the store, because I know it comes from animals that have lived in CAFO’s and have been fed antibiotics and hormones. Since I buy my chickens at the local farm, they’re pastured and happy and healthy as can be. I try to make the best use of them when I buy them, they are expensive and I don’t like to waste anything. When we get done eating a chicken, this is what we have left.
Usually I bury these bones somewhere in the garden, or put them in the compost pile. They do take a while to break down though, so I thought I could make my own bone meal instead. I simply put the bones in a blender and I had bone meal. Not quite as fine as the stuff you buy, but much healthier for my garden.
I feel good knowing that nothing is going to waste and the bone meal I’m using in my garden is the best quality.
What do you do with your chicken bones? Have you ever made your own bone meal?
You can do that?! I also prefer to make, rather than purchase, and hate throwing those bones out after I’ve made stock (I *love* squeezing every possible use out of a bird). So in making the bone meal, it doesn’t destroy your blender?
I didn’t do anything to my blender. I do have a heavy duty Cuisinart, don’t know if that matters or not.
If you don’t want to pulverize them you can just bury them in the garden.
Well, duh. Thanks.
I would love to try this too! But I am also wondering about the effect on my blender.
Most likely depends on the blender. Since mine is a heavy duty Cuisinart it made quick work of the bones. I did do it in bursts. The blades didn’t look any worse for wear afterwards. I did dry the bones well for a few days before blending (I had them on a tray and would put them in the oven whenever I took something out while it cooled). You could also dry them in the sun.
Interesting idea! I never thought of making it ourselves. After making stock from the chicken all you have left is the bones – makes sense to use them!
This sounds like a great idea. I do the same with all of our leftover egg shells .. wash/dry and stick in the oven after turning it off from baking. We have an old electric coffee grinder that works great making them into powder. Good to sprinkle around lettuce to keep slugs away and adds calcium to the plants.
I do this to egg shells as well, although I grind them in my mortar & pestle. I put them over the oven vent on the stovetop, they’re usually dry the next day. I grind them and keep them in a jar.
This is a great idea. I mean, I throw out the old bones after I made stock and the stray cats look forward to stock making day, but this would be so much better!
D’oh! I can’t believe I have read a gazillion garden blogs and never seen this idea before. Thanks for such a useful and common sense idea!
Hmm… I wonder how big a mortar and pestle you’d need to grind bones… 😀
Absolutely brilliant!
I can now use the entire bird. Thank you! I always felt awful throwing the bones away after making stock.
Great tip! I love this blog.
FAbulous idea!
I agree with everyone. Over the years I have read just about everything on gardening and never have I come across this. Thanks!
What a sensible idea. I have a garbage disposal [under sink kind] that acts as my fruit crusher for wine making. I bet it would make fine bone meal!
Kevin,
Can you elaborate on the garbage disposal use for wine making?
Thanks, J