Life and times of a new farmer/homesteader
Slaughtered my first rooster today {
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Thursday, December 28, 2006
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Well, actually, my first three. It was terribly unpleasant.
I don't know, for me it always is. I have butchered animals and
birds before, mostly game, some rabbits. Whenever I got grouse
out hunting I would just skin them. Plucking a bird is no
fun. Granted, killing them is even worse.I got my chicks back in July, when I first put an offer down on the homestead. I have watched them grow, develop personalities, and I have watched three die of injury before now. This morning I had 24 chickens, now I have 21. I still need to down about 10 roosters. I should have done it long before, but I kept putting it off. I won't do that again. Nor will I ever buy straight run chicks again. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing but praise for the folks at McMurray, and their chicks have done very well. I just figured I would get about even roosters and hens. Reading about this since, plus actual experience, I know that this is rarely the case. This spring I will buy a layer set, maybe Ameracaunas again, maybe an exotic mix of layers. Certainly straight run females though. I now have in my freezer two of the most aggresive and least colorful roosters I had. The other is in the fridge. It will be my dinner. I'm really looking forward to that. This seven pound chicken will probably feed me for a week, between tonights roast, sandwiches for the next several days, a curry at some point, and soup from the bones and feet. This spring I'm getting rabbits. I prefer the meat and I prefer not to have to pluck feathers. I'm also getting either a milk goat or a pig. I eat meat. I really like meat. All types. I figure if I'm going to eat meat, I'm going to raise the animal. I know that my roosters had an extremely good life. They ate as organic as I do, they got to run around in grass and brush, they were free to come and go as they please. I never lost a chicken to disease, the three I lost were injured, two of which I killed to put out of their misery. They have fresh oat straw in their coop, they get cracked corn and millet, and lots of good fresh water. Sometimes they even get sour milk, or whey from my cheese, or carrot tops, which they love. I don't know of a chicken that comes in a plastic wrap that would have lived any better. I want to be as self sufficient as possible. I'm not sure if that will ever be completely possible (I love limes and pineapple and avacados for instance, none of which grow well in NW Oregon,) but I'm working at it. I'm glad my kids were here for this. My daughter didn't want to help, so she stayed inside with Polly, my puppy. My son, well, he didn't enjoy it, but he was rather useful. My father was here too. They left a while ago. We also patched the roof where the last windstorm took of a piece of tin. A little tar, put back the tin, and no more leak in my bathroom. Well, I think I'm going to go plant my Jerusalem Artichokes. It is a beautiful day here, I should be outside. Then I'm going to roast a chicken. Oh yeah, I got a picture of me and Polly at my grammas house.  She's a great deal bigger than that now. I'll write soon on why I haven't been on since early in the month. It has to do with storms, holidays, and life in general. Talk to you soon, Raymond { Last Page } { Page 177 of 181 } { Next Page } |
