After death, new life begins (Picture included)

Before embarking on this chicken thing, I spent a lot of time reading and researching "The Deed." Something I often came across was people commenting on a certain feeling they have after they kill and dress out the animals they own. Maybe it's just certain people, but it would seem I am one of them. It felt like a natural connection to the world, almost a way it's supposed to be.


Wannachukanegg (or "Chuck") is no more. He met a swift end early this afternoon when the farm's first harvest came about. It was quick, and I doubt he felt much of anything. We chose to use cervical dislocation, and Moose did the pulling because I was afraid, the first time, I would hesitate, and Chuck deserved a sure pull from a steady hand. I relaxed him on the ground, made sure he was calm, and it was so strange -- part of me wonders if he knew my intentions and that's why he didn't struggle. The other part of me is left wondering as to why I was so calm. After I felt him relax, it took about 3 seconds to take his life. I put the broomstick down, stepped on one side, then the other and moose gave a pull -- We both felt it let go -- his eyes were closed and his wings flapped for less than 15 seconds.

We tried our best to respect him. I took a batch of his feathers and made a smudge fan from some of them. I think we learned a couple major things through this, one of the main ones being sharp knives are important. Though my knives are sharp enough for things I normally do, when it comes to carving up a bird, they aren't as sharp as they need to be, and I think the quality of the butcher suffered a bit because of the effort required to cut through skin and bone. We also learned the water wasn't hot enough. I was more afraid of the water being too hot, and ended up on the opposite end, so some feathers didn't get plucked out, and some skin got ripped while trying. The wings were lost to being unable to pull the feathers, but, along with the guts, the cats outside enjoyed them.

I cried, but not as much as I thought I would. I think that feeling of being part of the cycle overwhelmed my grief, and I knew he went quickly and would be cherished and respected all the way.


His carcass is relaxing in the fridge and will do so for at least 2 or 3 days. He ended up white skinned, and I was surprised at how the process brings familiarity to the situation as the skin is revealed. I've found, however, that I cant help but feel like I cant get the smell out of my hands, however it's probably all in my head. After all was said and done, he dressed out at just under 3lbs, and considering he's half the size of my Winston, it bodes well for his offspring that they'll be much larger. We're both looking forward to trying our first home bird.


Strangely, or perhaps not, after we took his life, we set down 34 eggs to start their own lives in shadowridge's incubator she loaned me. They're all mixes, but they have beautiful Winston in them, and our plan is to have them replace our current laying flock (mostly, anyway). Our original layers will likely find themselves at auction in October, though a larger bird may be harvested instead of sold as a layer.

Isn't it odd, these cycles of life? I've always paid attention, but I don't think I've ever quite taken it in the way I did today; I don't think I ever quite took into account my responsibilities as a predatory creature higher up on the food chain. Life goes on on the farm, as though it's natural, as though it's how things should have always been.


Thanks for reading, and thanks for anything you share.

Oh, oh, oh, I feel sick to my stomach, smiling that big smile. Kidding, well, not really. I need to do a hen that I am positive has a massive ovarian cyst. She walks now with her legs so spread apart, she can barely get over a little 2 X 6 board that is used in my pen to keep the little chicks in. She is not ill, she is good in every other way, but does not lay, and just has a hard time getting over small things and it is getting worse, clearly something is growing inside to make her legs actually look splayed, but still vertical, and older gal, three years old, poor stock and guess it is her time. So.....tell me....think I will use the broomstick. Could one do this yourself? Did you pull on the body with the head on the ground to dislocate, or the body on the ground and pulling on the head? I do cervical dislocation on youngsters, but never on an adult....you are going to have a lovely meal. Remember though, this bird is gonna be tough unless you treat it properly when cooking. I can surely attest to that, rubber maid bird, I mean rubber bird, just like the hardest beef jerkey, smiling. I was so turned off by rubber cockerel that I haven't had the guts nor gumption to cook the rest of the bird.....properly. Was going to, but didn't. Did you see the post on how to cook heritage birds. My experience was freakin' awful!! I see it is like summertime there, you have on a tank top, here too, beautiful hot, 30 degrees yesterday. Go figure, two days ago, sitting outside, during a happy hour, winter coats, yesterday, summer tank tops and short pants and sandles....blah, am I wandering off topic or something? Smiling that big smile. Thanks for the post, it was just ding dang cool to see what you were doing. Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

Cynthia, this was the first time I have done cervical dislocation on an adult bird, too.

It really wasn't as bad as I thought. I don't know how Sweetened did it, but I took the bird. Gave them a pet to calm them down. Slowly hang them upside down, feet in one hand, body supported by the other, (keeping bird calm), gently lay bird on chest with feet still in hand (feet are up with bird on the chest). Lay broom stick across the back of the neck (I try for near the head), step on stick with one foot then the other foot on the other side of the birds head and quickly and smoothly pull up by the feet until you feel the neck give. This also ruptures the blood vessels in the birds neck so it bleeds out into the neck. She'll struggle for a minute, but this is supposed to just be nerves and since her neck is dislocated she isn't supposed to feel anything. I like to pick up the chicken and hold it so that it's wings don't' flail so much... especially if it is dusty. When you go to pick up the bird, it should be unable to hold it's head up, and if you are unsure, feel the neck with your fingers. Since there is no outward blood, picking up the bird won't get you bloody.

Oh I feel sick to the stomach, again, sigh. This too shall pass. Thanks Silkie, this sounds like it is something I can do. So similar to what I do if I need to pass a smaller bird, like a chick. I think today is the day I must perform the inevitable. She is in distress and her comb was purpleish looking yesterday, used to be red, smiling. Thank you Silkie, have that good day, CynthiaM.

CynthiaM wrote:Oh, oh, oh, I feel sick to my stomach, smiling that big smile. Kidding, well, not really. I need to do a hen that I am positive has a massive ovarian cyst. She walks now with her legs so spread apart, she can barely get over a little 2 X 6 board that is used in my pen to keep the little chicks in. She is not ill, she is good in every other way, but does not lay, and just has a hard time getting over small things and it is getting worse, clearly something is growing inside to make her legs actually look splayed, but still vertical, and older gal, three years old, poor stock and guess it is her time. So.....tell me....think I will use the broomstick. Could one do this yourself? Did you pull on the body with the head on the ground to dislocate, or the body on the ground and pulling on the head? I do cervical dislocation on youngsters, but never on an adult....you are going to have a lovely meal. Remember though, this bird is gonna be tough unless you treat it properly when cooking. I can surely attest to that, rubber maid bird, I mean rubber bird, just like the hardest beef jerkey, smiling. I was so turned off by rubber cockerel that I haven't had the guts nor gumption to cook the rest of the bird.....properly. Was going to, but didn't. Did you see the post on how to cook heritage birds. My experience was freakin' awful!! I see it is like summertime there, you have on a tank top, here too, beautiful hot, 30 degrees yesterday. Go figure, two days ago, sitting outside, during a happy hour, winter coats, yesterday, summer tank tops and short pants and sandles....blah, am I wandering off topic or something? Smiling that big smile. Thanks for the post, it was just ding dang cool to see what you were doing. Have a most awesome day, CynthiaM.

Hello Miss Cynthia! I always love your posts so much. It took me a minute, I wondered who was typing like Cynthia -- you changed your avatar! How beautiful.

I think we will slow cook him in a couple days. I will put him on to boil before going to work with some spices and salt. He can't be much stringier than the chicken I've gotten from the store lately, for sure.

I was hot yesterday, though I'm in a tanktop at 30 below -- 30 above should be no-tank-top weather, but for the safety of myself and others, I try to avoid that.

The so-called broomstick method is designed for one person, but I think it probably worked better with 2 for a couple reasons. If you're standing on something and pull up or back, your body naturally leans onto it's heels in order to balance -- what with one person standing and the other pulling, there is no shift of weight. He went down on his stomach, feet back. I suppose if you were doing it yourself, you'd be facing the back of him with his feet facing forward out in front of you. I made sure he was relaxed and laying quietly, even with his head stretched out in front of him, underside of his beak to the pavement, throat down. You just lay the broomstick over his neck, make sure he's calm so he doesn't come out from under the broom. You'd have to have his feet in hand, step one side not far from the head, then other same place right away after that, and with those feet at the same time, pull up. You feel it, it is instant. He flapped for maybe 15 seconds. I found the blood clotted up in his head/throat area, but if I had had a sharp enough knife to cut through, I could have bled him better.

Maybe sometime, if we do it again, we'll film it. I wanted to film this one, so we could review it if anything went wrong, but the camera was out of juice and I was afraid to lose my gumption

Well ladies, you both have painted a great picture and I think I can do it. Yep, my avatar is of a whack of eggs I gave to a broody blue cochin. I put them infront of her in the nest box and she pulled them all under her. boy was she happy, she had been sitting on thin air in the box for about a week. Shouldn't have waited so long, but wanted to get her the proper eggs to sit on. the blue v-shaped marks on the fat end of the egg are good, I can see in an instant if anyone has come in and laid an egg with her. So far, so good. Have a wonderful day, CynthiaM.