I plucked my first chicken today!

It was beautiful here today. It was the kind of winter day that lets you know spring is nearly here if you can hold on just a little longer. I had to let the chickens out. Really. When I opened the door to the coop they all came piling out! It was so lovely and sunny I decided to sit outside with them for ages. Eventually my head started hurting and since I hadn't seen or heard the hawk I let them stay outside.

 

My Uncle Wayne came over to borrow the truck and when he left I went outside to check and see if I had any eggs yet. That is when I saw the flash of wings flying near the barn. Dang it... I ran to the barn and sure enough the hawk had killed the Buff Brahma Bantam rooster I have. He must have just killed it as the neck was broken and just a couple of claw punctures. The days of free ranging are over unless I can make him hate hunting over here. But how do I do that with l these lovely chickens running around? As I always say it is my responsibility to protect my chickens. Lesson learned.

 

So I decided to turn it into a positive. I went online and looked up how to process a chicken. I checked on the other chickens to make sure they were ok and they were really quite traumatized! They were squawking up a storm in the shrubbery, but they were none the worse for wear.

 

Dare I admit to "borrowing" my husbands stainless steel pot that he uses to brew his beer? Well it was the only pot I had that was large enough to dunk the whole chicken into. I got he water very hot and dunked the poor rooster into the boiling water a few times. I took him outside and plucked his feathers out in front of his friends. At first they came running thinking I was dropping treats for them on the ground. They quickly realized it as feathers. I wonder if they knew?

 

So I have him plucked just in time for me to leave the house. I had to run the mail from Mt. Nebo into Summersville today so I put him in a plastic bag and set him in the fridge. Since he is only a bantam size rooster I will see about making a pot of chicken & dumplings with him.

 

My Uncle Wayne and Paul said they didn't think I could handle processing a chicken then eating it. While I didn't personally deliver he death blow so to speak I was perfectly fine doing the rest. Maybe I should keep the hawk around after all? hehe Then I wouldn't have to get the chicken cones and slit their necks. I could just put out the chicken I was ready to eat and wait until the hawk did the rest for me. He also seemed very adept at plucking so maybe I could let him do that part for me too? While we are at it maybe I could teach him how to cook?

 

I did look up online that they are protected birds but that you can take yearlings and train them for falconry. That was a surprise to me. I guess I hadn't thought that people still did that.

 

Tomorrow Paul will finally come home for a few hours after being on the road for nearly two weeks. Along with the chicken n dumplins I think I will bake some bread. Mother Earth News had a great article about simple bread recipes. I've made the crusty white round bread a few times and it is very easy to make. Tomorrow for the first time I will try their sandwich bread recipe.

 

Hopefully my ear & sinus infection will clear up soon. I feel so run down... I think a little chicken soup is just what I need.