butchering day

We woke up Friday morning and started to get things ready for the butchering.  I could sense that Jim's anxiety was up there.  We have never done this before.  But, if we want to have a hobby farm and be homesteaders and raise our own meat, we have to be able to do this kind of stuff. 

I wasn't sure how I was going to handle the whole thing or if I was even going to get my hands into it, or if I would be taking any pictures.  I did take some but daughter Erin and Lauren took most of the pictures.  I thought of the chicken butchering post over at Coal Creek Farm where I learned a lot about butchering. 

I wasn't attached to these birds, I wouldn't allow myself to get attached.  Jim on the other hand did get some what attached even tho he tried his best not to.  These were his rooster-boys as he called them.  We really didn't have much choice but to butcher them.  We just couldn't keep a rooster let alone 9 of them.

We ended up skinning and plucking the birds.  I know I'm a wimp cause I wore gloves, but I just couldn't quite get myself to do it all bare handed.  Jim and I ended up gutting the birds together.  I dug out the insides while he handled the knife.  No pictures of that...and to think I hated biology when we had to dissect a frog.

The whole thing was really not what I expected...The grand kids were running around playing as if butchering chickens is an everyday occurrence here.  I was just hoping that someone going by didn't get too concerned with what we were doing.  Because looking into our back yard kind of looked like a three-ring circus and a slaughter house all rolled into one.

Comments

[Gina]

Judy,

It sounds like a messy job but I am proud of you and Jim! I'm not sure I could do it.

Are you cooking one for supper tonight?

Gina

[Becca]

Buddy came home and proudly said he held the bucket of blood. We enjoyed ours last night and it was delicious....thank you!