# Green Tripe



## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

Would you all please let me know how to process green tripe? I have some friends that raise lambs and pigs, another raises a few beef. I can get various "goodies" from them if I know how to handle it. The livers, lungs, and hearts I have no problem with. But tripe and anything else edible for the dogs?????? What do I do with it?


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## Michael Wise (Sep 14, 2008)

I have an ice chest that I use specifically for the task when I go to the slaughterhouse for tripe.

Get a pair of scissors specifically for dog food, too. Tripe is much easier to deal with using scissors. Those scissors will forever smell of tripe.

I like to use dishwashing gloves. Make sure you don't let it get inside the gloves. It is REALLY tough to get the smell off your hands. You still may get some stank on your hands even if nothing gets in the gloves. Don't ask me how.

If they don't have a wheelbarrow there that you can use, take one with you. That way they can drop the guts straight into the wheelbarrow for you. It is hard as hell to try to get a beef tripe out of the bottom of a 55 gallon barrel.

The chambers that you get are up to you. I usually only get the rumen and the reticulum because they are the largest.

The rumen will have the appearance of carpet.

The reticulum will have a honeycomb pattern.

If you want, you can get the omasum and abomasum.

The omasum is called bible tripe. This is because it has flaps in it that resemble pages. In between the pages is grass that is really packed hard in there. It is difficult to get the grass out, that is why I leave it.

The abomasum looks like regular smooth gut. I usually leave it. No real reason other than all the good, stanky stuff is in the first 2 chambers.

Then, depending on how you want to feed it, cut it up accordingly and put it in whatever containers you use.

I feed once a day, so it is cut into a full days worth of food. Some people add a little tripe to every meal, every day, too. You can feed it however you want.

Be ready for the smell. Fresh tripe is much stronger than tripe that has been frozen for a few days.


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## Michael Wise (Sep 14, 2008)

http://courses.washington.edu/chordate/453photos/gut_photos/mammal_digestive_photos.htm

I wasn't sure if you were familiar at all with what you would be looking at.

If not, here are some good pics. If so, disregard.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

You know, I was eating a sandwich while reading this. Not a good combo :-&


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## Tina Rempel (Feb 13, 2008)

Great information! Through the years raising some animals for food, I've dealt with "tripe". Just was not feeding raw then so didn't pay much attention other then heart and liver. 

With all I'm learning about feeding better raw and where/how to get it here I may well end up getting another freezer......


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## Emilio Rodriguez (Jan 16, 2009)

Michael, great post, thank you. Any ideas on how to source out green tripe? I've been told by the meat store there are no butchers near Miami and that everything gets trucked in.


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## Michael Wise (Sep 14, 2008)

Emilio Rodriguez said:


> Any ideas on how to source out green tripe? I've been told by the meat store there are no butchers near Miami and that everything gets trucked in.


I assume you mean not off the internet. Sorry, I'm simple that way.:lol:

A lot of people say that they are turned away from slaughterhouses because it is illegal to let the general public have green tripe.

I don't doubt that, but I guess some places are regulated differently. I gave my slaughterhouse tripe source every "out" that I possibly could. I told him that I didn't want to get him and his business in trouble. I asked if I needed to keep this a secret. He said that it did not matter and that I could come back as often as I like. He had saved it for someone previously, and that was his only stipulation. That I get it myself and he doesn't have to mess with it.

The best option that I can think of for anyone is if you hunt or hunter friends and family. Deer, elk, moose, etc. are all good sources of tripe. Guaranteed steroid and antibiotic free, too.:wink:


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

Bravo sells frozen tripe. You can find a local Bravo supplier here:
http://www.bravorawdiet.com/bravoretailers.html

There are several listed for Miami.


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## Emilio Rodriguez (Jan 16, 2009)

Thanks but I was looking for free tripe directly from the source.


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