| I don't know where you are from, but as long as you don't live smack dab in the middle of New York, Chicago or LA, go out in the country and buy straight from the source. Many small family farms will sell direct as it saves them from having to ship their product and if you ask nicely, the will clean and quarter the meats. Now of course I am not talikng about a whole cow because most of us don't have a big enough freezer. But if you go in as a group, say 4 or 5 people, the price and work load go down as long as they all help in the butchering process.
As far as poultry, if the farmer guts and skins the bird, all you have to do is dissassemble it into quarters and debone if you want to.
I grew up in the country and was raised in the tradition of hunting and fishing. It didn't take long for me to learn how to butcher a deer or clean a duck.
Best part is, if you butcher your own meats, you are in charge of the quality control.
Rocky | 
