The Three Musketeers (2011) by Mary
Last Spring, Erin took eggs to school for a project. Five chicks hatched, and she brought three home. Three baby chicks had to have the same attention as if there were 30, but Erin didn't seem to mind. They were so cute snuggling together. Eventually the threesome grew big enough to run around outside, and were introduced to the other chickens who pretty much ignored them. We would see them traveling together, taking dust baths together, and sitting on the fence side by side. I called them the three musketeers. I remember when I was painting the chicken house, they came to where I was working and made themselves at home. Although they were getting big, they were still talking baby talk, and I got such a kick out of them. When they began to roost, it was necessary for them to wait until the other chickens were settled and then sneak up to roost side by side.
Well, this fall, Erin realized one is a rooster, and we had always thought of them as hens! Then last week, Todd told us that two are roosters, and a total of four roosters are too much for the hens; they are getting the feathers plucked off their heads from so much mounting. We decided they should be butchered, but Erin is a vegetarian, and Nancy wanted no part of it. She wasn't about to eat those chickens!
So, while I was at the farm this weekend, and Nancy and Erin were away, Todd and I tackled dressing the two new roosters. You could say that we butchered the butchering, but we struggled through together and got it accomplished. I hadn't dressed chickens since helping my mom when I was growing up, and it was completely new to Todd. We found it gory but interesting. A perfect preface to Halloween the next day.
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Clotheslines are not just for clothes! | Not my chosen method of beheading, but it worked and I didn't have to do it! |
  | Left: Draining the blood. Side track: When I was growing up on the farm, Mom used a hatchet to chop off the chicken's heads. I tried but was nervous, and to not do a good job with the first whack freaked me out. My method was to hold the chicken by its legs, lay him on the ground, step on his head, and with one big yank his head popped off. I was glad Todd volunteered and I didn't have to demonstrate! These were big roosters.  |
Scalding the feathers. | Plucking out the feathers |
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Singeing the pinfeathers. | We cut one up and left the other whole. You are so lucky we don't have a picture of removing the innerds! |
Todd cleaned up the mess and sanitized the kitchen area. I fried one for supper!
