This past winter, our local source for organic whole chickens literally fled the coop and we were left wondering how to fill the gap in our dietary repertoire. We know that we can get chicken that is labeled organic at any number of outlets in the area, but what if anything, did we really know about what those chickens ate or how they were raised or slaughtered?
It was decided that we would venture into the murky pool of raising and slaughtering our own. The raising part sounded easy. I've had laying chickens for several years and have even had to kill a few when circumstances required. But to slaughter, dress and store a whole mess of them? Well, stop being such a pansy fer chrissakes!
We found a willing partner (squeamish about the killing, but otherwise, perfectly willing) and in February we ordered 30 chicks from good ol' Murray McMurray hatchery in Iowa. As the winter had been pretty mild, I figured that chances were relatively good that our birds would arrive safely, and on February 24th the package arrived with all but one bird standing upright. To create a little more heat in the shipping box, the hatchery included two extra chicks, one a meat bird (we opted for the Cornish Roaster... as the Cornish Cross is famous for leg problems and poor health at high altitudes) and an Auricana.
By the time slaughter day came around 12 weeks later, we took 24 birds up the hill. (We lost a few to natural causes and the Auricana stayed behind as he didn't have enough meat on his bones just yet (his day is coming though). "The hill" is in the Upper Llano and is in fact the same place where our organic chickens used to come from... all the equipment (and expertise) was there so for our first time out, it seemed like a logical choice.
Heather had to deal with her bees way down in Monticello, so Christine and I set out at 9 am on a Saturday, birds in tow. Our host Johanna took care of the actual killing (we were relieved about that) and Christine and I were put at the Evisceration table after a brief lesson. We were out of there with our fully packaged birds by noon.
In the end, because of the high cost of organic feed and the hiring of skilled labor, we didn't save any money on the whole enterprise, but we learned a lot and will make a few adjustments next time (which may be in just a few weeks) which will save us a bit of money. But the money wasn't really the point. Damn good chicken is the point, and we know exactly what they were fed and how they were treated. If you want to raise your own birds, but are not so sure about the killing part, I can put you in touch with the person you need to talk to.
The following photos are from our slaughter day in Upper Llano. Some are quite grisly. The squeamish may wish to proceed with caution.
