"The knee bones connected to the hip bone......"

Yesterday I underwent a life changing experience. This has changed my life in two ways. First I have now officially without a shadow of a doubt made the leap to full farmer status. Second I am now the perpetrator of a quadruple homicide.
The official number of animals that we have now is 13 not 17, and I no longer here the sounds of crowing coming from the barn this morning.

I began the day yesterday at 10 am setting up all the necessary tools and items needed. The final product was packed away in the freezer last night at around 7 pm. I must admit that this was potentially the nastiest thing I have ever had to experience and I hope to never have to do it again. From now on all my chicken will be purchased at the supermarket and all of our hens will be purchased fully grown and laying.

I will not gross everyone out by laying out the details for you and discussing each and every step along the way. I will say the entire process was one that was smelly, sticky, and emotionally scarring. I am somewhat glad that I can say that I have done this now once in my life however I am still not far enough removed from it to say it with too much confidence. Well more to come later. I think I need to go find a corner curl up in the fetal position and find a happy place.

p.s. I'm sure most of you are perfectly fine that this particular post doesn't have pictures with it.