D-Day

Today is D-day for the gobbler. It is strange to watch them go from this

To this

I said before on here, this guy sealed his own fate. We were fully prepared to keep him as a pet, but he started chasing the girls. He is too aggressive to keep. He is also a broad breasted bronze. We bought him under the belief he was a standard bronze. What does this mean? He's been specifically bred to have VERY large breasts. Animals that have been specifically bred for large size tend to not have long lives. Their organs and bones cannot withstand the excess muscle. He has lasted 9 months because we have allowed him to free range. The meat chickens we raised three years ago began to die because of this defect (yes, it's a defect when you stop to think about it). They suffer heart attacks, organ failure, broken legs, a whole host of things that result in sudden death. When you are dealing with breeds like this there is a deadline. Some can live beyond it, but most will not.

It has been three and a half years since we butchered a bird. I think a refresher course is in order. I may get Chris to butcher one of the extra roosters or a duck before the turkey. It is important to not cut the intestines open while gutting the bird. It sours the meat it touches. I would hate to lose any of this turkey. Unfortunately, I think this whole task will fall to Chris. Last time he slaughtered and plucked, I eviscerated and cleaned. One thing we both remember incredibly well is the stench of butchering chickens. It is incredibly unpleasant. I don't know that my pregnant nose will allow me to participate this time.

Tamarin wants to watch. Lemur is on the fence. I would like to watch the girls reaction, but I will probably be keeping Howler in the house. It's important for me to go through the spiritual side of it with the girls first. I want them to appreciate the fact this animal is losing it's life for us to eat. We have provided him with a great life where he was free to do as he pleased. He was not stuck in a large room with a couple hundred of his kind, debeaked, never to see the sun like the turkeys everyone else is picking up at the grocery store. It's important for me to teach them where our food comes from and that our food has a face and should be appreciated. I'll update here later what their reactions were.