First things first — our whole chickens come with the neck inside the cavity. So you've got to remove that boy and set it to the side. Don't throw it away. The neck is perfect for stock, soups, all of those good things. It's packed with collagen and flavor.

Set it aside with anything else you're saving for broth.

Now that we have our two leg quarters, we're going to separate the thigh from the drumstick on each one.

I like to still manipulate it a little bit — bend the joint to try and get it to separate so it's easier to cut through. You can kind of see there's a pretty clear delineation between what's thigh and what's drumstick. Just go down through that joint.

Not much work at all, especially if you have a good sharp knife. Do the same with the other leg quarter.

Sometimes they don't want to let go. That's fine. Work it, be patient, and it'll give. Now you have two drumsticks and two thighs.

Last piece. You have the option to do bone-in or boneless here. I prefer boneless, and I think most people do as well.

Some resources online will tell you to try and remove the wishbone first — it's up at the top of the breast. I don't really think that's super necessary.

Here's what I do:

Find the clear midline on top of the breast. You can see it running down the center. Cut into that — the skin makes it a little tricky, but if you really use the tip of your knife, it's easier to get in there.

Be gentle so you don't take the breast apart. You can see the center bone of cartilage separating the two sides. Use the tip of your knife to follow the angle of the ribs — it's pretty concave — and just take the breast straight off the bone. You'll have to go through some extra skin, which is where a good sharp knife comes in handy.

There's one breast. Do the same on the other side.

Once the breasts are off, flip one over — you can see the tenderloin on the underside. You can actually just easily separate it by pulling it away. Removing the tenderloin gives your breast a more even density all throughout, which means it'll cook a lot more evenly.

This is also a good time to slice your breasts in half to make chicken breast cutlets if you want — they're thinner, cook more evenly, and are easy to use. You can also remove the skin if you prefer. That's up to you on any of the cuts.

From one whole chicken, you now have:

2 bone-in skin-on thighs — The most forgiving, most flavorful cut. Perfect for cast iron crispy thighs.

2 bone-in skin-on drumsticks — The kid-friendly cut. Roast them at 425°F and dinner is done.

2 boneless breasts (plus 2 tenderloins) — Sear in cast iron, slice for salads, or cut into cutlets for even cooking.

2 full wings (drumette + flat) — Bake with baking powder for crispy wings without a fryer.

1 carcass + 1 neck — The foundation of your next batch of bone broth. Here is our guide on making your broth step by step.

That's three to four meals from a single bird. Dinner tonight from the thighs. Seared breast for lunch tomorrow. Wings for the next day. And stock simmering all weekend from the carcass.

If you broke down two birds like I recommended, double everything — and you've got a week of meals planned from two chickens.

There's obviously still some meat on the carcass after you've taken the breasts off. I think it's totally okay to leave that on there. It's going to help bulk up your stock and your bone broth and make it a lot better.

Toss the carcass, the neck, and any wing tips you trimmed into a stockpot or slow cooker. Cover with water, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and simmer low and slow for 12-24 hours. What comes out is a collagen-rich stock that gels when it cools — and that's how you know it's the real thing.

If you've got chicken feet in your freezer, throw those in too. They're one of the richest sources of collagen you can get.

For the full stock recipe, check out our guide: How to Cook Every Part of a Pasture-Raised Chicken.

Keep your knives sharp. I can't say this enough. A sharp knife does the work for you. A dull knife makes you fight the chicken and that's when things go sideways.

It's not a race. I find that whenever I make cooking a race is when I hurt myself. Go at your own pace and figure it out. Speed comes with practice.

Be ready to change plans. If your six-inch knife isn't getting through a joint, swap to the bigger knife. If the wing is sitting in a weird spot, approach it from a different angle. Every chicken is a little different. Adapt as you go.

It's okay if it's not pretty. Your first few birds won't look like a YouTube tutorial. That's fine. Your food will still taste the same and will still be delicious, especially because it's our chicken. The cuts don't need to be magazine-perfect to cook beautifully.

Practice makes practice. Break down two birds at a time. You get better with each one, and you end up with enough cuts to actually plan meals for your family.

P&K Family Farms is a regenerative family farm in Clermont, Georgia producing pastured chicken, grass-finished beef, and pastured pork with daily rotation, corn-free and soy-free feed, and complete transparency in every practice. We deliver throughout Georgia and ship across the Southeast.