Sue,
 
There's a lot of good information on Bob's gravy and feeding to
insulinomic ferrets here: http://www.trifl.org/gravy
 
It seems there are as many different ways of making the gravy as you
can imagine.  IMO, Bob left out a few of the finer details of the
preparation....I ruined my first batch and nearly burned out a blender
with my second!  :-)
 
Here's what works for me.  You definitely want to start with a whole
roasting chicken, organs and all.  Cut it into pieces.  You can use
standard food prep cuts (see the site above), or just chop it up - it
really doesn't matter.  Now, if you have a blender that can handle the
chicken like that, more power to you, but I haven't seen one myself.  I
remove the skin and cook that first.  I run the raw chicken meat and
bones through a grinder (a coarse grind will do), cook it briefly with
the removed skin, cool it, and then blend it (or not) to the desired
consistency.  Adding the other ingredients before blending will help you
get a good smooth mix.
 
There are a few good electric grinders around, but most of the ones you
will find on store shelves are not strong enough to handle bone.  I
purchased a manual model from Professional Cutlery Direct.  (www.pcd.com)
It's a workout, but I figure I need the exercise. :-)  BTW, the coarse
grind doesn't seem to be nearly as hard to do as the fine grind, and is
just as good since you're going to blend the chicken later anyway.
 
I tried blending right after grinding, but the raw meat is fairly gummy,
requires you to add too much liquid, and puts a hell of a strain on
your blender.  The cooked meat has released its own juices and has its
proteins cooked, so it doesn't get gummy in the blender like the raw meat
does.
 
I have talked to a shelter operator who prefers to roast his chickens
first and then grind them, so he doesn't have to handle the raw meat.
That will work just as well, but be sure to put any drippings back into
the gravy - they need that fat!  I actually buy latex gloves from the
grocery store (or a pharmacy) to use when handling the chickens, so I
don't have to touch them directly.
 
Good luck, and don't get discouraged if your first batch doesn't go so
well!
 
Roger & the Fibonacci Ferts
[Posted in FML issue 3846]