Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Test post

We went to Old World Wisconsin and petted a horse. Then my camera battery died. Now I'm testing blogging from my iPad. The end.

Not useful so far. Rats.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Evolution of a Farm Wife

Leslie, the bloody pics are at the bottom. I'll warn you when to walk away! :D


What a difference a year makes. Not only are we faster, but we are way less grossed out! We also had an audience today.

We butchered the first 12 chickens today and will do 12 more in 3 or 4 weeks. It was 8:00 before we got started and the whole thing, except for the wrapping, was finished in 2 1/2 hrs.

We use as our guide How To Butcher a Chicken.  Super website with clear directions and lots of pictures.  The only quibble I have with him is that I think he makes getting the lungs out sound way more difficult than it is.  Rose Bud and I even got lungs out in the first handful today.  We seldom had to go back in and scrape them out.

The kids, especially Pepper, helped catch. Mr. GT did the chopping and Sunshine and the neighbor boy watched. Mr. GT also dipped them in the hot water. The first 6 grossed Banana Boy out so much he couldn't touch them. By the second batch, he was carrying them from the scalding bucket to the plucking table and showing the neighbor boy how to pluck (J. did gingerly pull out a few feathers with his fingertips!)

My kids are so territorial! Rose Bud doesn't let anyone else do the feet. That is HER job. However, once she discovered how exciting it was to gut, she happily turned over the last 3 (well, 6) feet to Daisy. Rose Bud can do every part except the head-chopping.

Daisy is the gizzard expert and cleaned all those. She found that one chicken had eaten two small pieces of glass.

Pepper was all squeamish this year and wouldn't touch anything. We made her run the hose and rinse.

Sunshine filled the coolers and plucked. And watched the chopping. He also cheered whenever they caught a chicken.

One interesting note was how ungross we all felt (except for Pepper). I was covered in bloody water because the corner of the table where I was gutting was lower than all the rest and it kept dripping all over me. Last year I couldn't wait to rip off my clothes and shower. This year I could have sat around in those clothes for awhile. I had to find the little kids and ask them to change and Rose Bud went for a run in her chicken clothes and will throw them in the wash when she gets back.

The real hero was Chaya who was so bored by the whole thing. Mr. GT wanted to tie her up while we butchered, but I said let's wait and see how she does. She just lay in the shade and only ate few small bits she found (we're not very messy). She wasn't nosing around or eating every feather in sight or licking up blood. What a good Dogger!

Here come the pictures, cleanest to bloodiest.
Chicken Crew

Filling the coolers

The next candidate

Suddenly brave

Plucking

 J. Plucking

Pepper only rinsed

Bloody one, coming up next...







Not sure what this is about.  My mom was the photographer, but doesn't she look proud?????? :D