Sunday Slaughter

We have about a dozen cockerels and three ducks that are more than ready to go off to Freezer Camp. We should have done them last fall, but after doing the turkeys for Thanksgiving, I just couldn’t face another bird. So stupidly, we fed them through the winter. It’s Spring, now however, and they were just becoming unbearable to have around. Too many boys is just no fun at all. Just having them contained has restored harmony amongst the hens. We only kept two of the batch — one who got himself his own harem and made a home in one of the sheds with them, and the other one because he’s pretty and reminds me of his daddy, Keikur.

These boys are hardly worth the work, because they are all feather and no meat. But what meat there is is really tasty. Two and a half pounds is not a big bird. I tend to stew two at a time, pull all of the meat, then make stock with the carcasses.

Frank was cleaning out the chest freezer and found two from ’07 and I cooked them up yesterday. It was a perfect choice for when we needed to be outside running the evaporator. I made chicken salad sandwiches that we ate outside with some homemade bread, then did a fried rice thingie with lots of vegetables and used up left over brown rice. I think I’ll make chicken enchiladas with the remaining meat. That’s good for a couple of meals. The meat is quite tender and so flavorful.

So maybe they are worth the work after all.

I made the offer over on Facebook and Twitter. If you’d like to learn how to slaughter a bird, we’ll be doing a dozen chickens and three ducks on either Saturday or Sunday. Take home a bird, meet some of your neighbors. Contact me if you are interested.