Off With His Head!!! (Part Three)

***Graphic images and descriptions***

I've told my children that God has created all things for a purpose.  For animals, some are created to be companions, some to help us labor and some to provide us with food.  Some animals are duel purpose.  Our hens provide us food (eggs) but we also love them.  We hold and pet and talk to them and they respond to us in return (it is really funny to hear my husband making chicken noises and them in turn "talk" back to him).  However, I can not imagine an animal being a companion and our food.  I've explained to my children that while we are going to eat our meat birds, we are responsible for caring for them.  We won't love them the same way we love our hens but we will provide the same care.  They were held and talked to, provided plenty of fresh water and ground to graze on but, they were held back from our hearts.  They had a good life and we have not become emotionally attached to them making the end easier.  These birds will have had a wonderful life (unlike the birds we get from the grocery store) and the end will be swift and peaceful surrounded by those who cared for them instead of butchered brutally by evil people or cold and hard machines.  Seeing how animals are kept in the mass food industry and then how these animals are put down, I feel convicted now more than ever to make a change.  I can't change this nation and how pathetic we have become in so many ways, but I can change my family, even if it is one step at a time.  We have been so blessed with such a rich world.  We have been given dominion and power over the Earth.  That does not mean we should abuse it and destroy it.

Today was the beginning of our butchering process.  I was going to wait a bit longer but the birds are getting big and moody.  We won't be able to do them all at one time but as they go, it will make things more comfortable to those waiting.  More food, more space and less heat.  Happy animals make happy food.  Happy food makes happy people (another thing I teach my children).  If we raise healthy animals, then we will be kept healthy from the food we get from them.  "Let food by thy medicine and medicine be thy food." ~ Hippocrates

I have been asked by a few people about the process.  I will try and explain everything as best as I can.  Remember, I am no pro at this.  This bird you are about to see is only my second to process on my own.  It is easy and it is hard.  It just depends on what part you're working on at the moment.  The killing, surprisingly, is the easiest part.  As I mentioned before, the way I had done this the first time was to slit the whole throat.  I did not feel right about it once all was said and done and I had had time to process through it all.  I cried myself to sleep a few times reliving it.  The gasping of the bird through his cut air way slowly bleeding out.  The strong desire to live, all the way to the last heartbeat.  I knew there had to be a better way.  Back to researching.  I thankfully found a video where the guy provided the method that set my heart at peace again.  This is the method I use.  Everyone has their own way.  I'm not saying anyone is wrong or evil for doing it differently than me.  This is what I found to best for me.  ***UPDATE:  I found this website and think this has been one of the best examples of how to do the process.  So far, we've just been skinning but that is what made this process so hard.  I think next time, I'm going to try the scalding and plucking.***

Here is my set up:

My suggestion would be to work in a shaded location.  That sun cooked me!  I use a small folding table ($20 at Target several years ago).  I made a cone from an old milk jug.  Cut open the bottom and a small opening at the top for the head to go through.  I really need some new knives but I'm using what I've got.  If you've not check out Cold Steal, I strongly recommend their knives.  The big one is a Rajah II.  I'm in love with it!  However, it's just too big for this sort of job.  I'm making do with what I've got for now though.  The bucket on the ground is for bleeding the bird into.  You'll see in pictures to come, I forgot to use it and got blood all over the driveway.  I washed it off and remembered it the next time.  You'll need a hose for water to wash up as you go.  I rinse the bird and knives and table off several times to keep things as clean as I can.  I use a heavy duty cutting board so I don't tear up the table top.  Cutting off the head and legs takes a lot of pressure.  I use three bowls; the big one is for the body, the middle one for the feet and the small one for the organs I'm keeping.  I keep the heart, lungs, liver and the edible parts of the gizzard.  There's another little organ that I've kept but I don't know what it is.  It's the same color and feel of the liver and heart so I'm guessing it's good.  I mean, if people can eat the brain and tongue, I don't guess this little organ will be a problem.  I do not eat the feet.  I peel them and use those in the bone broth for the added collagen.  Lots of good stuff can be done with rich bone broth.  Amazing flavor and wonderful health benefits.

I need one to two extra set of hands.  My daughter is a great helper and seems to enjoy it, so long as it's not more than one bird at a time.  Come the end of the second bird's processing, she was leaned over on the table yawning LOL!  She said she was bored.  Having the bird up-side-down helps them relax.  Not like he was stressed to begin with but the more relaxed they are, the easier it is to dispatch them.  The jug keeps them from being able to flap around and holding the feet above their bum keeps them from trying to back out of the jug.  The other area I like having the extra set of hands with is turning the water off and on.  I need a new hose too.  One has a hole in it so even if I had a nozzle on it to stop the water, it would just shoot out of the hole.  The other one was run over by a lawn mower and cut it in half.  So, no way of attaching a nozzle.  But again, making do with what we've got.  There's always something to spend money on.  With four kids and a husband, I think we've got enough hands to help.

Now comes the "easy" part.  I have to gear up in a way mentally for this.  It's not fun killing an animal.  But, that's the way things go.

 The guy I saw do this, did this AFTER the bird's throat had been slit.  I figure why not just do it BEFORE?  I take my small blade knife and go in through the mouth (just gently open and put your finger in between to keep the beak from closing) and I go straight through the brain.  Instant death.  No pain.  There is some flopping about but that is spasms, not fighting.  I then go on to slit the throat...

and let the bird bleed out.

I lay the bird out with his head down so he can drip more in the bucket (that I should have used from the beginning).  Now it's time for the first clean-up and make sure you clean your knives as you go too.  That blood gets sticky quickly.  (Sorry about the boob shots too.  I didn't realize my top was so loose.)

Quality family time : D

Off with his head!!!

As scrawny as their little necks are, they sure are tough to cut through.  Instead of sawing, think straight down and hard.

Now for the hard part....

Part One
Part Two
Part Four