Patent ID: 7014553

Claim:
A retainer for use with a poultry carcass having legs with hocks, the retainer comprising: hock retaining means including a first opening for retaining a first hock and a second opening for retaining a second hock from the poultry carcass, the hock retaining means retaining the first hock and the second hock in proximal juxtaposed relationship to each other, wherein the openings include half-moon notches into which knuckles of the hocks fit; anchor means removably insertable into the poultry carcass, a plurality of end-points, each of which lies between two adjacent of the half-moon notches, for fitting within dimples between the knuckles of the hocks, and connecting means between the hock retaining means and the anchor means, wherein the first opening and the second opening each have a width no more than approximately the width of the hocks, whereby the combination of the first opening and the second opening with the respective half-moon notches and end-points cooperate to secure the hocks within, but not through, the first opening and the second opening, thereby securing the hocks within the hock retaining means.