Abstract: A poultry leg retainer having a bridle having a spar and side members defining loops or openings adapted to receive the hocks; an extensible strap attached to the spar and extending across the loops or openings and adapted to cooperate with knuckle creases on the hocks; a separator or tab projecting from the spar inwardly between the loops or openings for cooperating with the hocks so as to assist in retaining the hocks within the loops or openings; and an anchor having upturned ends adapted for engagement with an interior cavity of the poultry carcass, the bridle and extensible straps forming a basket structure for retaining the hocks to truss the legs against the poultry carcass. The anchor can have a front surface defining a protrusion and a back surface defining a groove complementary to the protrusion, the protrusion of one retainer being fittable within the groove of another retainer.

Abstract: A poultry leg retainer for use with a poultry carcass having legs with hocks, the retainer having an anchor, a connecting leg, and a bridle portion. The anchor has an anchor beam that extends in a substantially transverse direction of the retainer. First and second outer ends of the anchor beam are pointed and upturned. The connecting leg is coupled on a distal end thereof with a central portion of the transverse anchor beam and extends in a longitudinal direction of the retainer substantially perpendicular to the transverse direction of the anchor beam. A curvilinear member of the bridal portion has a central portion that is coupled with the proximal end of the connecting leg and first and second arcuate portions that define first and second downwardly-facing openings, respectively, configured to engage first and second poultry hocks, respectively. The retainer is also configured to facilitate stacking of multiple retainers.