Nothing.......then.......bang!
I was only thinking yesterday how quiet things have been here at the moment. I thought there really is not anything interesting to write about. I have been really busy with work and personal life but on the "farm" it seems to have grinded to a halt.
Until today.
Let me start from the top.
I had to go to the abattoir again today as this is part of getting my full license to slaughter. I went in with my shiny new white overalls, wellies and a brand new knife the abattoir owner bought for me. I did 22 sheep today and it went well. I improved my technique a lot of found a certain way of holding the head which allowed for a smoother cut. I also saw a lot more of the background stuff today in terms of how then bring the animals in and I also kept a close eye on the people stunning the animals - they were really very good; never rough with the animals at all.
The most interesting aspect of today's visit though was a chat I had with the vet there. He is Spanish - nice guy. He came out with some awful stuff about what he and friends had seen in "halal" slaughterhouses in Birmingham. "Covered in shit" he said - well he actually said "covered in sheet". He said he was so disgusted by it and questioned how that could really be halal. And all this coming from a non-Muslim. He was like "isnt halal also about being healthy and wholesome? The how can they be halal if the carcasses are covered in sheet?" He also made a very good point about carcasses in that Muslims take away the carcass for butchering pretty much as soon as it is done. His point was that it isn't healthy and that the meat needs time to relax, cool down and this improves the texture, flavour and health of the meat. I agree with him - I have tasted meat hung for a while and meat instantly cooked and the latter tastes nowhere as good.
Anyway, so that was my morning at the abattoir. There I am tootling along the country roads back home in a very good mood. I get to the front door and see feathers everywhere. "What the....??? Those look like chicken feathers." My heart sank, and when I say sank it saaaaaank. So I followed the trail and then found a pool of blood with loads of feathers everywhere on our back terrace area. Then out of the corner of my eye I see what I thought was one of my dead chickens. I go over to see what has happened and the poor thing was alive! It was ripped to shreds but still alive. I had to run in quickly, grab the knife I was using in the morning and slit its throat there and then. By this time I my head was all over the place. "What about the others?"
I legged it up the garden quicky scanned my laying hens and all seemed well then saw the pen my growers were in. The fence had been ripped, feathers were everywhere and all I could see was dead chickens on the floor. All of them were still alive bar one so I had to leg it back, get the knife and kill them all. It was such a horrible horrible feeling. I don't mind killing them but it was just seeing them lying there injured and in pain. I was really upset. I then realised that there were 3 missing and found them cowering in their coop - on closer inspection they had some injuries and did not look right. I had to kill of them but they were in a good enough state to eat so I plucked and gutted the lot. We just had one for dinner now and although it tasted good the whole meal was tinged with sadness. Tomorrow I have to bury or burn the rest somehow but God knows how I am going to fit that into my day - maybe douse them with petrol?
So that was my day! Hopefully not be repeated. I appreciate the arguments that the fox or badger that did this has to eat too and was only being natural. I have no problems with that if they eat them - but they tortured the poor buggers; just ripped lumps out of them and then left them to die. I would have had no quarms at all with taking a shotgun to whatever did that to them.
It was such a shame. I had those chickens from a day old and they were part of my daily routine and thoughts. When I left the field tonight I just looked across to an empty pen, full of feathers and their feeder swinging in the wind. May they rest in peace. On to the next lot though......such is life in the country.
Until today.
Let me start from the top.
I had to go to the abattoir again today as this is part of getting my full license to slaughter. I went in with my shiny new white overalls, wellies and a brand new knife the abattoir owner bought for me. I did 22 sheep today and it went well. I improved my technique a lot of found a certain way of holding the head which allowed for a smoother cut. I also saw a lot more of the background stuff today in terms of how then bring the animals in and I also kept a close eye on the people stunning the animals - they were really very good; never rough with the animals at all.
The most interesting aspect of today's visit though was a chat I had with the vet there. He is Spanish - nice guy. He came out with some awful stuff about what he and friends had seen in "halal" slaughterhouses in Birmingham. "Covered in shit" he said - well he actually said "covered in sheet". He said he was so disgusted by it and questioned how that could really be halal. And all this coming from a non-Muslim. He was like "isnt halal also about being healthy and wholesome? The how can they be halal if the carcasses are covered in sheet?" He also made a very good point about carcasses in that Muslims take away the carcass for butchering pretty much as soon as it is done. His point was that it isn't healthy and that the meat needs time to relax, cool down and this improves the texture, flavour and health of the meat. I agree with him - I have tasted meat hung for a while and meat instantly cooked and the latter tastes nowhere as good.
Anyway, so that was my morning at the abattoir. There I am tootling along the country roads back home in a very good mood. I get to the front door and see feathers everywhere. "What the....??? Those look like chicken feathers." My heart sank, and when I say sank it saaaaaank. So I followed the trail and then found a pool of blood with loads of feathers everywhere on our back terrace area. Then out of the corner of my eye I see what I thought was one of my dead chickens. I go over to see what has happened and the poor thing was alive! It was ripped to shreds but still alive. I had to run in quickly, grab the knife I was using in the morning and slit its throat there and then. By this time I my head was all over the place. "What about the others?"
I legged it up the garden quicky scanned my laying hens and all seemed well then saw the pen my growers were in. The fence had been ripped, feathers were everywhere and all I could see was dead chickens on the floor. All of them were still alive bar one so I had to leg it back, get the knife and kill them all. It was such a horrible horrible feeling. I don't mind killing them but it was just seeing them lying there injured and in pain. I was really upset. I then realised that there were 3 missing and found them cowering in their coop - on closer inspection they had some injuries and did not look right. I had to kill of them but they were in a good enough state to eat so I plucked and gutted the lot. We just had one for dinner now and although it tasted good the whole meal was tinged with sadness. Tomorrow I have to bury or burn the rest somehow but God knows how I am going to fit that into my day - maybe douse them with petrol?
So that was my day! Hopefully not be repeated. I appreciate the arguments that the fox or badger that did this has to eat too and was only being natural. I have no problems with that if they eat them - but they tortured the poor buggers; just ripped lumps out of them and then left them to die. I would have had no quarms at all with taking a shotgun to whatever did that to them.
It was such a shame. I had those chickens from a day old and they were part of my daily routine and thoughts. When I left the field tonight I just looked across to an empty pen, full of feathers and their feeder swinging in the wind. May they rest in peace. On to the next lot though......such is life in the country.
posted by tomitv @ 11:04 PM
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