Host 3: Vegetarians rejoice
One cockerel left.
Over the past few weeks we've been knocking off the 5 cockerels. Suzanne killed the first two, then entrusted us with the last three.
The first one we did went fine. I picked out the large one with the green tail, leaving the small green tail and the grey tail. I brought him to the neck breaker and Tawnie did the honors as I hung onto the chicken with two hands showing my inexperience. The rest of the process went fine aside from Tawnie needing a bit of assistance with the size of the hole to cut before gutting. Overall, a success.
The next chicken went fine as well. This time I grabbed the little green tail as we had decided the grey tail was our favorite. This time I killed and plucked on my own, while Tawnie did the gutting. May I just add - props to Tawnie. Gutting is gross. I don't like it at all, so she agreed to be full time gutter. Anyways, the only hiccup on this bird was the water I submerged him in to loosen the feathers up may have been a bit too hot. No biggie, but something to improve upon.
Then there was one. We had to kill this one the day after the last one because it is lonely all by himself. Everyone agreed that this was their favorite because of its beauty. For some reason I was dreading this one more than the others. I think it's because having a few days between is nice to get fortified and mentally prepared.
Regardless, it had to be done, so this morning I woke up and set up the kill room. I went out to grab him and of course he was perched as far from the doorway as possible. I was using a towel to wrap him in because when you kill them their wings violently flap. I took the towel in my hands and lunged at him. Unfortunately, grey tail had seen his peers picked off one by one, and he was going to use his whole pea sized brain to survive. He leaped around me and took off into his run.
Now the only hope was to corner him, but he wisely went running into the back of his run where he has protection from a huge tree. It was beginning to get light out, so I went to feed the hens and reset mentally.
After feeding I returned. At the sight of me the cockeral ran back under his tree. I made my way back and managed to flush him out. Then, as I too was coming out, the top of the 6 foot rubbery chain link fence gashed into my face, a few centimeters from my left eye. A quick check with the back of my hand showed blood. Not only had grey tail escaped death, but he drew blood from his executioner.
With defeat I strolled back to the house, head hung low. I admitted defeat to Suzanne while shielding my face because I had no idea how bad my cut was yet. Then I looked at myself in my bathroom mirror and told Tawnie what had happened while she was in bed dreaming of giant wild boars.
I no longer want to kill this bird. Tawnie and I are going to try to get it later today, but I'm hoping Tawnie volunteers to do the killing. Grey tail defeated me, and I want him to at least have that to be proud of in his death.
Over the past few weeks we've been knocking off the 5 cockerels. Suzanne killed the first two, then entrusted us with the last three.
The first one we did went fine. I picked out the large one with the green tail, leaving the small green tail and the grey tail. I brought him to the neck breaker and Tawnie did the honors as I hung onto the chicken with two hands showing my inexperience. The rest of the process went fine aside from Tawnie needing a bit of assistance with the size of the hole to cut before gutting. Overall, a success.
The next chicken went fine as well. This time I grabbed the little green tail as we had decided the grey tail was our favorite. This time I killed and plucked on my own, while Tawnie did the gutting. May I just add - props to Tawnie. Gutting is gross. I don't like it at all, so she agreed to be full time gutter. Anyways, the only hiccup on this bird was the water I submerged him in to loosen the feathers up may have been a bit too hot. No biggie, but something to improve upon.
Then there was one. We had to kill this one the day after the last one because it is lonely all by himself. Everyone agreed that this was their favorite because of its beauty. For some reason I was dreading this one more than the others. I think it's because having a few days between is nice to get fortified and mentally prepared.
Regardless, it had to be done, so this morning I woke up and set up the kill room. I went out to grab him and of course he was perched as far from the doorway as possible. I was using a towel to wrap him in because when you kill them their wings violently flap. I took the towel in my hands and lunged at him. Unfortunately, grey tail had seen his peers picked off one by one, and he was going to use his whole pea sized brain to survive. He leaped around me and took off into his run.
Now the only hope was to corner him, but he wisely went running into the back of his run where he has protection from a huge tree. It was beginning to get light out, so I went to feed the hens and reset mentally.
After feeding I returned. At the sight of me the cockeral ran back under his tree. I made my way back and managed to flush him out. Then, as I too was coming out, the top of the 6 foot rubbery chain link fence gashed into my face, a few centimeters from my left eye. A quick check with the back of my hand showed blood. Not only had grey tail escaped death, but he drew blood from his executioner.
With defeat I strolled back to the house, head hung low. I admitted defeat to Suzanne while shielding my face because I had no idea how bad my cut was yet. Then I looked at myself in my bathroom mirror and told Tawnie what had happened while she was in bed dreaming of giant wild boars.
I no longer want to kill this bird. Tawnie and I are going to try to get it later today, but I'm hoping Tawnie volunteers to do the killing. Grey tail defeated me, and I want him to at least have that to be proud of in his death.
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