Yesterday we processed some chickens.
When the weather isn't cooperating I clean the birds inside.
It's not a fancy affair.
Once Andrew kills the birds and lets them bleed out,
he brings them in for me to clean.
I start with a clear working area.
Over the counter is a big window facing the duck coop where I have been watching the blue jays quarrel over the ducks' feed.
The sinks get cleaned and one emptied while the other is filled with hot soapy water.
The draining tray off the sink is cleaned and ready for use as well.
I have clean cloths, sharp knives and a bucket (for inedible parts) by my side.
Sometimes we skin the birds and other times we pluck.
Yesterday I just skinned them since we were working indoors.
I start by skinning the bird and removing the wings, feet, and head, all of which finds it's way into the bucket.
Sometimes before the skin and feathers make their way into the bucket,
we pick feathers for crafts and feather hair clips.
At this point, the kids like to gather around the bucket and examine the remains. Next the viscera are removed from the carcass.
We keep the liver, heart, and gizzard, then eat these fried in butter after the butchering is done.
Once everything is removed, I rinse the carcass in cold water, bag it and freeze it.
The leftover parts are either buried in the garden or taken out back into the woods for the forest animals to enjoy.
Nothing wasted.
Here it is.
A Gold Laced Wyandotte ready for the freezer.
Grown out, they weigh about 4lbs.
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