It’s time to talk about the butchering of our meat birds. This post does contain some blood and guts, but it’s not too bad. However, if you’re squeamish you should probably just skip this one.
I have to explain that here at Coal Creek Farm, there are no persons that grew up on a farm. Clay grew up in the suburbs of St. Louis and I grew up on four acres in western Kansas that was just outside of town, the only animal we had was a Standard Poodle named Thunder.
I have always loved country life, from the moment Clay and I started talking about where we wanted to live our conversations always drifted to a farm lifestyle. So, here we are. Everything we do on Coal Creek Farm is intentional, well, except the mistakes and screw ups. What I’m trying to say is we try to take on projects that will enhance the life on the farm and we figure since we live out here we need to take advantage of the possibilities that owning a farm offers.
Raising meat birds was a new gig. We bought 20 birds with me saying, “Just twenty?!” I was set on at least 50. There are times when Clay shows greater restraint with our projects and thank God he does or I would cause us so much work that life would become unbearable.
Two of the chicks died within the first few days we had them. I had read about these Cornish Cross birds and was concerned that they would have all sorts of problems and we would end up with zero birds to butcher. Because they are bred (emphasis on bred, not genetically altered) to grow very rapidly they are prone to heart problems and leg problems. A lot of this can be avoided by keeping the birds cool, which is why we didn’t raise our meat birds in the heat of the summer. We also chose to restrict feeding to 12 hours a day. This may slow the growth rate, but it also keeps your birds from gorging themselves 24 hours a day and then basically exploding.
We kept our birds in our basement until they got too big then we moved them into the barn in the pen you see in the photo until they got too big then we moved them into the inside of our chicken coop and we kicked our six layers and one rooster out into the barn. When the temperature started to get warmer, I opened the coop and gave them the outside run to use.
I had written BUTCHER CHICKENS on our calendar when the birds would be ten weeks old. That day came and went. When we finally had time to butcher them they were twelve weeks old. The roosters were just starting to try to crow. I like the suggestion that some of you gave me about butchering them at eight weeks. At least then I would still have a two week window and no roosters trying to crow.
We moved the big pen outside to house the birds on butchering morning. We hadn’t fed them so some of them started eating all the grass and weeds right away. Those birds love to eat.
Our turkeys got out when we were moving the birds and circled the pen wondering what was going on with their fat feathered friends. When they tired of circling the pen they ate 16 of my tomato plants. Turkeys!
First lets talk about pencil lead marks. How many of you have one somewhere on your body? Raise your hands. Mine is right there on my palm under my pinky. Where’s yours?
Moving on.
It is vital, and I am talking crucial to the point of something really critical and very important and also absolutely necessary that you have a freaking sharp knife. Not just a sharp knife, I mean one that if you tap it on your finger, it will skin your entire hand. None of my kitchen knives are that sharp. I wish they were, but no. I used Clay’s hunting knife, it is wonderful. And really sharp, I have the cuts to prove it.
I don’t have any pictures of us chopping off the heads. We originally thought we would have several people over to help us and make a fun day of it, but the response I got was either complete silence or HAYELL NO! We were under the gun to get it done so we just pressed on with our two oldest helping us….sorta. Once we were done setting up, my daughter made herself scarce. After he had chopped off eight heads my son decided he’d seen enough. My 7yo wouldn’t open his eyes when he stuck his head out the door to ask us something and didn’t come out to investigate until we were almost finished. My baby yelled at us, “Why you killing my babies?! I didun wan you kill my baby chickens!” I had no idea he thought they were his or that he considered them babies. sigh
We have a lot of work to do to make them full fledged country kids. I thought we did a really good job not getting emotionally attached to these birds. When you get into it knowing you are raising them to kill and eat you detach the ‘pet’ mentality. I love animals, but I did not love these birds, obviously my 4yo did and he was prepared to raise them and send them to college.
However, he had no problem eating them….cannibal.
Once we had chopped off the heads we held them tightly and lowered them to the ground until they were done flopping and most of the blood had drained out. Yes, a chicken will run around with it’s head cut off. these birds are so heavy that it would damage their meat if we allowed them to do that. Several of them did some flopping after we had hung them up and it caused their wing to break, we tried to avoid that, but we’re just not experienced enough yet.
After they had stopped flipping and flapping, which is about a minute or two, we wrapped wire around there feet and hung them from our clothes line to drain out the remaining blood.
We decided we were going to skin our chickens instead of scalding and plucking. We rarely eat the skin and I mean only if we buy a bucket of fried chicken.
Unfortunately, the first one I tried to skin, I did upside down and it took me FOREVER!
I mean FOREVER!
Let’s take in this picture.
Four dead, bloody chickens hanging from the clothes line. Tire ramps in the yard. A trash can for guts. A dog scavenging whatever chicken parts he can get in his mouth. A big blood stain in the grass. A child running to hide so she doesn’t have to participate in the madness. A pile of debris waiting to be burned in the background, on the top of the pile is the sickly chicken we killed first.
What am I missing?
Oh, right. What you can’t see is that the Sheriff is parked at the end of our road watching all of this….for hours he watched. I wanted to take him a cup of coffee, but I was afraid to approach him with all the blood and guts splattered on me.
I’d like to submit this to the Chicken Yearbook committee with this caption:
Ellen and Preacher playing soccer, April blowing her nose wondering if she will ever get that darn bird skinned while the Sheriff looks on.
After I finished the first bird, wisdom finally sank in, I realized I was doing it backwards. The remaining birds we took to the table and skinned from the neck down. It is very simple, the skin and feathers pull off easily. The hardest parts to clean are the wings. Doing it this way you avoid having to cut out the oil gland, it comes off with the skin.
We kept a reference book close at hand to make sure we were cleaning the birds correctly. After the first few we were good to go.
Chicken parts.
In the white bowl I saved the necks, livers, hearts and cleaned gizzards. The rest we burned, after we all played with the feet. You can’t help but play with the feet.
Look, my kids are doing something to help! We filled two coolers with ice water and stored all the clean meat in them until we were done.
Um, maybe next year we’ll have the sense to raise the table for the giant woman that had to stand there and clean birds all day.
At one point in the morning it was just Clay and I working on the birds by ourselves, he said, “I can’t think of anything I’d rather do on a beautiful Saturday morning than be outside with my lovely bride butchering some chickens.” And he was serious.
Then we remembered the Sheriff was watching and our romantic moment turned into “WE DIDN’T DO IT! WE’RE INNOCENT! I SWEAR! THESE BIRDS WERE ALREADY DEAD WHEN WE GOT HERE!”
…..to be continued, because why would I want to stop talking about guts and blood and chickens?
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Wow, hats off you you all. I like the idea, not sure if I want the job though. How long did it take you all to kill and clean the birds? Just curious. Waiting for the story to continue……
Great Job!!! There is nothing harder than cutting up a chicken… I laughed at the rubber gloves… sorry, I just couldnt help myself!! We had some of those birds and they were terrible to work with.. they got fat way to fast and I think that made them tasteless…just my opinion. Cant wait for the rest – you are getting to be quite the farm girl – girly!!!
I have to keep reminding myself that you two are new to this stuff. You seem to handle like old pros. It’s amazing. So what’s next?
Wow!! I am impressed!
While we dream of having some land and raising/growing our own food,
I have a hard time repackaging the flats of Chkn I get from Sam’s. gaaaag reflux
I wanna be just like you when I grow up…
: )
Oh my. I feel your aching back.
Good job for a first try! It takes so much gumption to do it yourself when you have no clue what you’re doing. You guys have truckloads of gumption!
Let me know how the skinned meat is. Yes, I’ve heard it’s easier than plucking, but doesn’t the meat also get terribly dry (freezer burned)? Also it’s hard to keep the meat moist when you cook it. I’d like to hear if this is your experience too. Maybe you’ve found a better way. Plucking can be miserable.
I’m impressed with your abilities!! Have you done the final tally yet on the money? How much it cost to buy and then feed the chickens vs. the meat you got in the end? I’d be interested to hear a price per pound. Have a great weekend!! I’m looking forward to post #2.
You made this process seem easy and something you do on a daily basis. If farming doesn’t work maybe you can go to work in a butcher shop. Just be carefull of your fingers LOL. Fresh killed chicken is the best tasting chicken I have ever had. I didn’t know it at the time and was a little freaked out when I found out but it is still one of the best chicken dinners I can remember.
Well, there you go. We did the scalding/plucking method. Used a cone down the drain to let the blood. Of course, we only killed a couple at a time. Mom cleaned ‘em and cooked ‘em. We ate ‘em. Nobody ever said “Eewww!” We also gave a few of them to folks who normally couldn’t afford meat.
Memories. And now you’re making me hungry.
OMG. Not in a million years could I do that. Congrats to your family for living your dream of “farm life.” I am jealous of that but you can keep the chicken butchering part…….
what type of dog is that in the head eating picture? My puppy looks like that. Not to change the entire subject of this post, lol.
I’m impressed, but couldn never do that myself. What I really want to know is have you talked to the sherrif since? I wonder what he was thinking while watching. LOL
I have to give you PROPS!!! You are THE WOMAN!!! and BTW I laughed myself silly at your narrative and pics. Sorry.
I’m in awe… you are amazing to jump into the fray like that. Don’t think I could have done it. In fact I’m afraid two minutes into the afternoon I would become a vegetarian! Seriously… you all have got it all right – keep the sense of humor and nothing is too tough to handle.
Awesome! We process Deer here at home but never have tried chickens
rabbits creaped me out when the screamed so I couldnt do them anymore! Aside from the fact that is MUCH better quality of meat, any idea what it ran per pound? Is it worth $$ doing again?
I’m wondering about the sheriff to. Why wouldn’t he just come up and talk to you guys instead of sitting in the car? Maybe he don’t like blood and guts.
This looked easier than I thought it would be. Still not sure I could do it. ha
I love it. Your husband’s comment was CLASSIC. So great.
It has been years since I butchered chickens. Of course I learned from my Mom as we would butcher our own chickens.
Very interesting. Laughing at the voyeur sheriff.
You are so funny!
I had to chuckle when I saw the book on the eviscerating table – that’s exactly what we did. My husband and I are both from big cities, the closest I got to nature was the coconut palm in my backyard. Everything we learned, we learned from books. We still talk about how much we enjoyed the whole process – from getting the chicks in the mail to the Sunday roast chicken. Hats off to you guys!!!! Clay’s remark was classic.
I think the sheriff was laying low to avoid somebody in town. I wonder who? And why? Hmmmmm……
Why was the sheriff there?
Did he hear a rumor going around town that there was some butchering going on at your house and thought he’d supervise in case it got out of hand? Were the neighbors complaining about the noises of chickens meeting their maker? Does the sheriff have some sick fetish that is only whispered about in the social circles? Was he in desperate need of a good nap and randomly chose your driveway to do it in?
I am thoroughly intrigued.
That is fantastic- just love the commentary to go along with the photos! I have to admit- I’d much rather watch you do this from the safety of my computer screen than actually participate…
Thanks for sharing!
Wow. You guys did great. I love the comments w/the photos. What is up with the sheriff? And the book on the table? Hilarious. I work in a library, and would do the same thing. Research your subject. The photo of you and Clay and his comment? Priceless. Can’t wait for the next post.
“Never eat Chicken Feet.” is a saying my sister and I , along with our cousins have been talking about for years.
We once all went to our grandmothers house where they always had tons of Yard Birds raised for meat and eggs. This trip on the stove was a big pot of chicken feet stewing. After all the euewsss and grosses from the town kids (aka us ), we all got the giggles and still talk about this today.
Interesting post.
The deputy was probably doing boring monotonous paperwork, and you guys were his entertainment to break up the monotony
It’s not every day that you get that lucky and have a show to watch while doing paperwork.
My left forearm, and right ear. Oh, I’m talkin’ about pencil lead. I’m skipping the rest.
I love that the sheriff was watching! I wonder if he was radio-ing in the happenings there at your place!
Great post. You guys are so funny!!
hilarious!! i wonder how many times you gagged. i would have puked!
I hestitated before I scrolled down to see the killin’ going on. But, I did it and am now nauseated. I am wondering if my grocery store might give me a refund for the chicken breasts I bought this a.m. I had intentions of making some chicken salad but think I have decided to become a vegetarian. I have a “thing” about eating things that have legs and breathe. I once threw away a perfectly good frying pan after my husband cooked frog legs in it. I couldn’t help myself. It is true that frog legs do jump up in the pan as they cook. Maybe the same principle as “running around like a chicken with its’ head cut off”.
LOL Oh Helen, are you aware that everything you eat (meat)was up walking around at sometime somewhere? That just cracks me right up!
Wow, even though I’m a semi farm chick, this suddenly makes going to Walmart and throwing the packaged chicken parts in my cart seem enjoyable. Good for you-you are the true pioneer woman!
I have not read all the comments but does anyone else find the irony in the title of the book “LIVING with Chickens”. I have to say I was repulsed and fascinated all at once. I have a memory of chicken slaughtering day at my grandparents farm. They let the chickens run w/out heads. I was 7. And watching. And I will never forget the smell of 6 women in a hot kitchen dressing freshly killed chickens. Over hot scalding water. Ewww. Scarred.
I am also impressed that you had your tools ready to go. The table had plastic on it etc….very organized. I like that kind of control.
What is with the sheriff? Does he KNOW you? Is there a speed trap near your house? Wha???
OMG you just never know what you are going to get day to day with you all, and that is what keeps me coming back to read, then laugh, then read, and then laugh some more.
Pics do justice to the commentary. P.S. Did the sheriff ever come in for coffee or just use his spy cam to document for future use?
Loving your blog. You are too funny!
I love the little hook to hold the chickens neck down, very creative. Also, I think if you look closely at the picture of the bloody table you see a chicken outline like a chicken homicide crime scene.
Maybe you should invite the sheriff over for chicken & dumplings!
I dunno….this was a bit overwhelming. My chicken comes wrapped in celophane from the meat counter. I’ve never actually slautered an animal, but I’m married to an avid hunter who has. That’s the usually a day that I plan a shopping trip far from home. I don’t want to see the meat until it’s packaged neatly in the freezer.
I thought I was over the top with this post.
http://thedomesticfringe.wordpress.com/2009/01/23/on-the-hoof/
But no, apparently I was not.
Thanks for the education. I just ate chicken for dinner and now I almost feel badly. Well not that badly. It was really good.
-FringeGirl
OH MY……..
@Roxanne~~
As to me not eating things that “breathe and walk around on legs”~~~~ that is in reference to ALL meat. Even fish, really , as I sure can’t eat any fish that has a head on as it is served! I know that it is all in my head but I can visualize the animal and it makes me sick to think of eating it! Way back in my jr. high school days, I did not eat any meat for 1 1/2 years. I became anemic and so had to eat some meat to get all my iron in. My family loves venison but that stuff has never crossed my lips as I can “visualize” those beautiful brown doe eyes. I am sure there are more like me out there! I am not saying it does not taste good but just can’t stomach it! And I REALLY did throw away that frog frying pan! LOL. I should have at least given it to Goodwill!
When I was an animal science/pre-vet major at Silo Tech (KSU), one of my required courses was poultry science. We were each handed a Sharpie marker and 2 chicken eggs on the first day of class and told that we would learn everything about chickens from the egg to dinner table. We incubated and hatched (do you know if you inject dye into the eggs the chicks hatch with colored downy feathers? pretty cool), docked beaks and ID banded, calculated feed rations, and when they were 8 wks old we had our practical exam. We had already taken the written exam but the prof said no matter how well we had done up to that point, we couldn’t get an A unless we killed, drained, scalded, plucked (those acts were mostly automated) and hand butchered OUR chicken (remember that ID band?). Some people freaked out a little and settled for a B. I got an A. I think I’ll give you and Clay an A+.
My grandparents butchered their chickens when I was at there house when I was about ten. My sweet grandmother actually ripped the head of the chicken off, letting it flap around. That freaked me right out.
Me and my siblings took all the chicken feet and had a funeral for them… It was very dramatic and we talked about how they had been good birds. Of course, that was after we had a big lunch of fried chicken.
Too bad the sheriff wasn’t there The Day of the Great Bee Chase (chasing Clay, that is). He’d have laughed till he cried like I did! Especially with you spinning around slapping them out of your hair…of course he’d be too far away to see the BEES so that makes it even funnier. Heehee.
Jo’s friend Stacy (my 5th child on my sidebar) and her (other) family butchered chickens this past weekend. I’ve butchered chickens twice. I got the job of chopping off all the heads and then cleaning out the gizzards. I actually enjoyed it when I was 13, but I don’t think I’d like it quite as much now. We were doing a lot of chickens and they had a gizmo with several large funnels nailed up in a row. Underneath was a bin for catching the heads. The chickens went in the funnels head first, you pulled down on the head (with a gloved hand), and sliced the head off and let it fall in the bin. Then the chickens drained in the funnels unless they hopped out and started flapping headless at someone’s legs and had to be stuck back in the funnel. They had a some kind of plucking thing, too. It involved getting the feathers all wet and stinky. The plucker was the worst job because the smell of the hot, wet feathers was so nasty it made everyone want to puke. I think skinning would be much better.
This post is so much better than the spoinking post. BTW, I saw some kind of chicken recipe with cherry sauce on a blog the other day and thought of you. I also threw up a little in my mouth–because of the chicken and cherry combo, not because of you. I just needed to share.
I’m impressed. I grew up on a farm, but I’m pretty sure we just delivered our chickens somewhere to be butchered, and then picked them up when the deed was done. You guys are hard-core.
I love you. I really do. This is educational. This post has validity and depth and information–useful information. Do you think that same method of cleaning the birds would work on a wild turkey? We always cut everything out, but it would be really cool to have a whole bird.
OK, I have to tell you this: My mom, my grandma, and all my aunts let the chickens flop around. And their fried chicken was better than any I have eaten in the last 40 years.
Oh, and when I was 10 years old, it was great fun watching the headless chickens flop while the family dog went berserk.
April darling. I am not reading this post. But I wanted to tell you to opt out of the floating ad campaign. It can’t be worth how annoying it is.
April~ You are so funny! I wish I was half as funny as you are. Love your blog. Keep ‘em comin’!
Incidentally, you are correct. You are freakin’ hilarious!
BTW, I usually am a blog “hi-bye” and therefore rarely comment, but I felt I must in this case.
You see, we seem to have quite a bit in common. No, really. Seriously, I’m not stalking you. Come back.
Okay, I’m also tall. Freakishly so. Since you asked, I’m 6’2″ and my dh is 6’5″. Our children, poor little darlings, are giant monsters. The oldest, starting QB, turned 8 last week. We are definitely looking forward to some football. That is, if they ever go to school since we choose to teach them ourselves.
But, on a serious note, have you considered raising rabbits for meat? That’s what we do, and the meat is delicious. The feed is cheap, especially if you have a garden. And, they reproduce… well, like rabbits.
ah, forgot the real intent of my comment.
Unfortunately I do not get paid to say this, but my absolutely favorite clothes come from Long Elegant Legs. They have a website, http://www.tallwomensclothes.com/ and the clothes are manufactured for women 6′ and up.
April, just found you–a link from Pioneer Woman. Love you already.
The chicken post is great. We butchered chickens when I was a kid. Wish we’d known about skinning them. There is no worse smell than a scalded chicken. Plucking a chicken is a punishment from hell. My mom preferred that to gutting though. I was glad to do the gutting however, and leave the plucking job to her. I couldn’t eat chicken for weeks after.
You go girl!
Ok… I’m feeling a bit braver now. I’ve been talking about getting chickens for ages, but my husband hasn’t been convinced that I wouldn’t turn them into pets. Thanks to you I can now say “well, April says…”
Oh, and my lead is in the palm of my right hand. Getting fainter though. Not sure if that’s a good thing
And oh yeah, pencil lead. Left middle finger between fingernail and first knuckle.