Last spring I ordered meat chickens, thinking that filling my freezer with delicious, home-grown chicken would be a fulfilling and useful endeavor.
I was wrong.
We’d planned for a while to get a fridge for the basement for the extra eggs (they can be stored forever) and then the freezer could host the meat chickens when the time came. Expect the time came long before we actually purchased the fridge, so the huge birds have been eating us out of house and home, literally going through a bag of feed in three days.
But the fridge finally is in place and now all I had to do was butcher 22 roosters. Brian came home early to help, since wrangling 3 kids and a large knife is not a safe practice. I am very, very grateful for his help, since he ended up killing more than half of the birds while I plucked. And plucked. And plucked. And plucked. Until almost midnight.
I did everything you’re supposed to do. I dipped the birds in hot (not boiling) water to loosen the feathers. I started with the wing tips since they are the hardest. I tried not to cry when it got dark and I still had a pile of birds at my feet.
To add to the disaster I will add that I also lost the photos of the event I took for the blog. That would be more upsetting in and of itself expect that I lost the photos because I’ve lost my fancy DSLR camera. And even that is put in perspective because I took off my wedding ring to butcher the horrible creatures and it, too, is missing.
I should also clarify that we only butchered 12 of the birds.
Which, I suppose, gives me a second chance at taking photos.
If I find my camera.
Daddy's Tractor 
How frustrating!!!!!! Have you seen this plucking solution? http://whizbangplucker.blogspot.com/2010/04/whizbang-plucker-story.html. I hope you find everything that’s missing 😦
advice DO NOT PLUCK, I raise about 25 birds a year and I skin each one, Much much much faster, skin is high in fat and if you are like my family we eat them pretty fast, they are gone in at least 6 – 8 months so the freezer burn problem is nill. I just use ziplock bags, cut up most of them, sometimes seperate thighs and breast into seperate bags. Works
This was great to read! I was thinking about doing this myself over the fall to last all winter but after reading this, I think I might just take them to my butchers..
Lol! That would be my advise!
That is terrible!! I really hope you find your camera and ring very soon!! I was giggling at the site of someone butchering and then plucking all the chickens. I’m born and raised a city girl so I am pretty sure I’d be horrified if I had to do that 😉 Praying you find your lost items very soon!!!!
I would hate to “like” this post 😦 So sorry!
Girl! That sounds like a nightmare. Before you do that again, call Glenda Aughinbaugh. They made a feather plucker out of a 5 gallon drum and some rubber stuff….anyhoo there’s only a few tail feathers to grab with pliers when it’s done. I know they would let you butcher over there and maybe even show you how to make one.
My heart is breaking for you! What a horrible experience! Hoping and praying the second time goes much better and that you find your camera and ring!! ((Hugs)). The first time is always a learning experience . . .
Oh Dear!! So Sorry!!! I take mine to the butcher- he does a MUCH better job than I! And no mess is at my house! I highly recommend taking them somewhere else! Enjoy the chicken though!!! It is very YUMMY!!
Oh no Kelly!! I hope you find your camera and ring SOON! We butchered 4 roosters a couple weeks ago, and that was enough for me. I have lots of experience doing it but not the “old fashioned way” without a chicken plucker! The kids thought it was fun to pull out the feathers though. 🙂