No more wake-up calls

This past weekend we harvested our 5 remaining meat birds. They were causing too many problems with our laying hens after we had to house them in closer proximity following the massacre a few weeks back.

It was intense. Jason was a pro at catching the birds and eviscerating them, but couldn't handle the actual kill... left to yours truly. The de-feathering was such a chore compared to the last time I did this, where the facility had a centrifuge that spit out bare birds in 20 seconds. But thank goodness we had the help of a friend!... and the audience of her 22-month-old and little Seneca added to the festivities. It is certainly interesting to imagine what was going through their little brains as they witnessed the production.

Plucking the chicken

So we are now down to our 24 laying hens. There are no more wake-up calls in the mornings, with the crowing roosters now gone. Some neighbors have commented on the silence. I hope they enjoy it now... we've got 15 new chicks in the brooder getting ready for their life on the farm.