In doing loads of research I think it is wise to cut up whatever you are going to mince or grind. So loads of people on the different review sites recommend anyway.

I am going for the Northern Tools mincer/grinder as recommended by Ian with vat and postage it works out too £95-09. I am now on the look out for a jerky and fruit dehydrator too.

Yep, guess I could. Only my butchering equipment consists of a wood saw and a hammer, pmsl! Oh, and a cleaver...I suppose that would be enough to dismember a bird!

Is a manual mincer not recommended then?

A manual mincer will cope with chicken wings, carcasses once cut up, and rabbit legs etc. I have to mince things for my pug pup otherwise she'd still be eating at midnight. You do have to cut it up with a hacksaw though to fit it in the opening, although wings can go in whole. She's gradually moving on to eating the pieces I cut up though so hopefully I wont have to use it much longer. It's a pain in the backside to take apart and clean and reassemble every time.

Thanks Trouble.

Conversation with my Dad;

Me; You have a meat grinder/mincer right?
Dad: Don't think so I'll have a look
*toddles off to look*
Dad: No it's a meat slicer..
Me: Oh... I just wanted to know if you could shove a bird through and if it'd mince it..
Dad; Right..
Me: Would a meat slicer do that?

PMSL My Dad was right confused bless him..

Could a meat slicer work any better for you Leanne. And Lynn - sorry I tried to see how good they are but of all the things my Dad buys he doesn't have one...

Don't worry thanks for looking anyway. I had made the decision to buy the one Ian had suggested but after getting to the feeding puppies and dogs in my new book give your dog a bone I may look for a less hard core one. I will still mince some stuff while a pup and obviously use it for oursleves too but I do not think I will be mincing as much as I thought I might.

I imagine a meat slicer would do just that, and slice the meat. Think a whole bird would probably blunt the blades quite quickly, if it had the power to get through it at all.

Lynn, perhaps you could invest the money you were going to spend in a spare freezer (if you need the room) and order from a supplier than minces things already? To be honest, generally mince is one of the easier things to get hold of and getting hold of whole/chunky things is where I have to put extra effort in - my supplier does a range but I still have to supplement with bits from the butcher, supermarket, etc.