Two years ago my husband was sick when it was time to put the poultry in the freezer.

Two years ago my order of chickens was increased by accident.

I picked up a dozen turkeys and thirty cornish rocks.

I had ordered ten turkeys and twelve cornish rocks.

Two years ago I had very good luck with my baby birds – none of them died prematurely.

The best time to butcher birds is when the weather is cool enough to keep the flies away yet warm enough to not freeze fingers.

I decided to kill eight birds a day until the job was done.

Fate smiled on me and sent a predator that offed six birds.

By day two I was sick and tired of killing birds.

Until two years ago I had never killed more than four or five birds a day and that was done with my husband’s help.

By day two I had perfected my methodology and could dress off a bird in twenty minutes.

By day four I had to work hard to keep the bile down.

Day five was a light day – I did the last few birds, without looking at them.

For the next three months I didn’t eat meat.

I cooked it for my family if someone begged for it.

I wanted to vomit every time I touched a piece of meat.

OVERKILL OVERKILL OVERKILL OVERKILL

I’d heard the term a million times but two year ago I understood the meaning.

Since that fall I’ve been jotting down my meat-eating thoughts.

Food for thought:

Raising and butchering your own meat has a natural rhythm involving season, life cycle, supply, and demand.

Fasting may be a religious experience but is the root founded in the basics of food gathering?

Eating meat that you have raised and processed becomes a vehicle for thoughtful eating.

I prefer to put no more than fifteen birds in the freezer – I can make one bird last for three meals for a family of five.

Top preference would be to butcher on demand with no freezer involved.  (Need a larger barn for safe and sanitary hosting of birds than current situation allows.)

Hunted animals for meat is a whole different situation than domesticated animals for meat.

A loved animal produces lovely meat that shares an indescribable but tangible energy with the caretaker and partaker.

And this list should be longer but today has been a long day.  I presented Homesteading as a career at the local middle school Student Development Day today.  Fun but tiring.  A different tiring than moving manure!