Little did I think that I'd end my one day of chicken butchering with one less friend. I posted a bunch of pictures on facebook shortly after the crazy butchering day and the next day I have a message from one of my Whistler roommates (who is a vegetarian) that she didn't want to be friends with me! She couldn't understand how someone could ever do this to another living creature, then she called me a loser and said that she's done being my friend...so our epic three month 'friendship' is over. Sad, I know...but it actually makes me laugh. This was probably the most humane way to butcher chickens -- I don't want to know how they would do it on a massive scale!
Anyway, all this to say that, yes, some pictures can be quite disturbing and I can't believe my hand was 'up there' either...but it just has to be done if you want to eat farm fresh chicken.
On a typical chicken butchering day, they do about 400 birds. The night before, the chickens are caught from the pasture and caged but they only have so many cages so when those are full, the remaining 150-ish are put in a horse trailer until more cages are freed up from the butchering process. Being the rookie in the crowd, they got me to experience the catching and the gutting...don't worry, I couldn't believe I was doing it either!
The first reaction to sticking my hand up the bum of the chicken is, "ooooo, that's warm!"...but after about 5 hours and one has poop still in its system, the reaction is more like, "AH, ech, I'm going to gag!" My screams and mini wig-outs kept everyone entertained...especially when they kept throwing and threatening me with the ripped off chicken heads. Until, that is, one of Kendra's friends came down with a full chicken and encouraged me to pull the head and cut the feet off before gutting. And so I did it...while screaming...so it took me two pulls...and then I put the head on my finger, naturally!
He's smiling at me!
After all is said and done and the last chicken has been gutted, it's time for packaging. Some of the chickens are pieced into breasts and thighs and wings etc and some stay whole. Whatever pieces they are, they get shrink-wrapped and labeled and head straight for the freezer.
Kendra and I were just putting the last of the chicken wings in bags...and then, we had to head to the grocery store before heading home. Dressed as is, thank you very much! Haha...Kendra's shirt was still even splattered! Good times and great memories!
2 comments:
sorry to hear about you friend! How was the hike, do you have any pictures? I know, I m living vicariously, but you guys have such adventurous lives!!!
NO WAY! There is nothing on earth that could make me do that! You are a brave woman!
Post a Comment