Well, me and SS husband butchered 5 birds today

[miss_thenorth]

My hubby is a hunter, so processing meat is not an issue for us, but I myself have never killed an animal before. I had 5 sexlinks that were well past their laying days, so they will be blessing our table as soup and stew now. My hubby supervised and guided me on how to how to do it, and now I do feel empowered, knowing that I could, and that I know how to, if I ever had to provide for my family in this way.

We skinned our birds, and while we were doing the birds--my hubby expressed how glad he was that I was into this as opposed to shopping in my free time (like some of his friends wives)

 

[patandchickens]

You are so lucky. My husband will probably never, ever have anything to do with processing chickens as long as he lives. It is too ucky and peasanty, I think, and too much of a reminder that meat is not magically cloned inside styrofoam-and-plastic-wrap labware :/

Pat, who would like to be proven wrong some day but ain't holding her breath. He does like *eating* the meat and approves of its economy, however, so I will settle for that

 

[MorelCabin]

My Dh will axe them if I hold them on the stump but he won't go any further than that...when/if times get tough I'm sure he will change:>)

 

[FarmerChick]

that's great...enjoy those fresh birds....yummy

Tony is a hunter also and has no problems doing nasty business on the farm at all. He put down my horse and other critters and it is just what needs to be done....thank goodness he can do it, I can't.

Us frugal and SS types, not big on shopping for diamonds and furs..LOL..well, most of us....and your right to feel empowered, cause you are. It is a good feeling to know you can do these things and survive.

 

[TX Honky]

You go! we've always hunted and fished ect. Me and dh met at a shooting range. However I had never killed anything with my bare hands until last week when I had to kill one of my chickens, I kept telling dh to just grab her and pull her neck real hard,blah blah blah, he couldnt do it! He opt'd to just shoot her with the pellet gun. Uh no you will not do that I said! What if you just wound her, ect. He said you do then! Fine! I picked her up and yank! Out she went. I wanted to puke. It's different when you are so many yards away with a rifle. But feeling the bones break is not something I want to make a hobby. btw she was really sick and I was worried she would get the other hens sick so you know. She didn't lay anyway.

 

[farm_mom]

Congrats to you! There definitely is something empowering about the whole process, isn't there? I find that you really work on wasting less of the meat/carcass too if you've raised/slaughtered your own. It completely changes your relationship with your food. Good for you!

 

[Beekissed]

peasanty

Pat! Peasanty??? Oh, that's just not right....

Styrofoam? Puh-leeeeze! Mine come in silver chafing dishes, served by my butler, thank you!

You guys are a laugh a minute!

 

[FarmerChick]

hey TX
I know what you mean....none of us truly want to kill anything....I sure don't. I have had reactions like that...we are just human and since we do care for these animals, we do have a sense of attachment, but in the end we do what we must.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I haven't butchered any of my own birds yet. I want to, but to be honest, I am not sure I could do the actually killing of it. I have no problem cleaning a carcass after it is dead, I just can't bring myself to taking the life out of it. Does that make sense?

I know my husband could, he just won't. He says I should get over myself and do the bird myself if I want to learn. :|

 

[Beekissed]

Contrary to popular belief, I am a real softy!

It helps me to disassociate myself from the animal. I know that sounds like so much bull-hockey, but it is the same as when you have to clean up puke or poop for someone. Repugnant, to say the least, but if you can put your mind in a place where the smells, the sights and the feel of THOSE things can't affect you~just long enough to get the job done.....well, then, you can kill a chicken! Its all a matter of mind control. If you get good enough at this, you can push it out of your mind to such a degree that you barely remember doing it!.... OH! Maybe that's just my old-timer's kicking in!