California - Northern

[capayvalleychick]

I thought it was your daughter still at home. I keep forgetting that you have grown children.

I haven't butchered a pig yet but need to do it soon. Find someone to do it soon. They are way too cute to do ourselves. I've heard that this breed has a lot of lard. I've never used lard, so am going to have to do something with it. I'll have some for you. You are probably talking about the leaf lard. I've heard to make sure they separate that for baking.

One of the old timers was recommending pouring lard on the chicken feed, said it was good for them.

I love taking pictures. My husband bought me what he thought was a good camera. I don't know anything about how to adjust it so I use the automatic setting a lot. I can't get good close ups, even when I set it to portrait focus.

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
I process the photos some. I crop them quite often and today I let photoshop clean up the girl picture a bit.

Partridge(mix?) Pene Cockerel:



Partridge Pene Pullet



The Boy still has problems with the feet, but he did fly off of the roof and he runs around. It is like his toes do not work correctly. Weird

Bye,

 

[ronott1]

I thought it was your daughter still at home. I keep forgetting that you have grown children.

I haven't butchered a pig yet but need to do it soon. Find someone to do it soon. They are way too cute to do ourselves. I've heard that this breed has a lot of lard. I've never used lard, so am going to have to do something with it. I'll have some for you. You are probably talking about the leaf lard. I've heard to make sure they separate that for baking.

One of the old timers was recommending pouring lard on the chicken feed, said it was good for them.

I love taking pictures. My husband bought me what he thought was a good camera. I don't know anything about how to adjust it so I use the automatic setting a lot. I can't get good close ups, even when I set it to portrait focus.

Yes, it is Lard and Leaf Lard. I have been brainwashed over my lifetime to think that Lard is bad, so I have a hard time saying the word. Now I am being told that Lard is good, but it has to be fresh Lard, not the Armor brand that they sell at the stores.

If you sell me some of the fat I will render it myself. My mom did it when I was growing up. As I recall, rendering the fat into lard smelled much worse than processing a chicken, but I do have a whole house fan....

Ron

 

[debs_flock]

Quote: You appear to have been offended by my statement, not my intent at all. I wasn't really even commenting on a little girl's statement about her desires when she grows up. I was basically just agreeing with the statements that preceded mine.

My life hasn't made me to feel one way or the other, I'm not quite sure what you meant by that. At least anymore than anyone else's life experiences cause them to form into the person they are.

The internet is cr*p with trying to get across intent. My only point was I feel sorry for people that feel oppressed in their relationships. That feel someone else is responsible for their happiness. That is a recipe for disaster. I have always been an extremely independent person (took off at 19 and spent 3 mos hitchhiking through Europe by myself). I think it's important to be in a relationship that supports your beliefs and goals, but encourages your desires.

I've always said the biggest problem with my DH and I is we are enablers. If one were to say............."Let's get a pet wolverine!" The other would say................"Let's get two!"

For me, I married the person that was kinder to me than anyone else I had ever known. It was a good fit.

Deb

 

[zooweemama]

Do not read if you do not want to read about my processing chickens.

I processed my first chicken today. I have to admit. That was hard. The twitching scared the crap out of my kids at first. Everyone was pretty on edge but wanted to be there. Even the 4 year old. No one cried but my husband looked near to it when I slit the chickens throat. I am trying not to think about it too much. For the soapy dip- I left the darn chicken in too long and he was partially cooked by the time I yanked him out. Lesson learned. Everyone was talking (6 people in the kitchen) and I was really overwhelmed by the whole thing. I did it all. My husband held his Kindle Fire with pics from the forum up. Reading and showing me pics. That helped a lot. Getting the guts out was hard because I was always afraid of rupturing something. took forever. Then I couldn't find the lungs. I butchered the poor bird. He deserved better than my hack job. I ended up skinning him because all the black pin feathers. Because he was already partially cooked I wasn;t comfortable putting him in the frisge to rest so he is simmering on the stove.

I have learned where the parts are and how to get them out. I have learned to slit the neck while the bird is already in the bucket to drain because it can get messy. I learned that chickens become zombies about 5 minutes after they die and convulse like crazy. Cut the tail off- not even worth trying to save. That was crazy talk to try. Cut the head off soon because it made it harder to get started with his little face there. That heritage chickens look bony. I forgot to weigh him but I bet he was about 3 pounds dressed and a good bit of that had to be bone because he was a big dude. One of the biggest we had in the meat pen.

Doing this 6 more times? Wow. I just can't think about it too much. I definitely respect where my meat comes from like never before. I thanked the chicken for his sacrifice. I hope he is tasty as a soup base. LOL I am proud of myself though. I did it.

 

[zooweemama]

Yes, it is Lard and Leaf Lard. I have been brainwashed over my lifetime to think that Lard is bad, so I have a hard time saying the word. Now I am being told that Lard is good, but it has to be fresh Lard, not the Armor brand that they sell at the stores.

If you sell me some of the fat I will render it myself. My mom did it when I was growing up. As I recall, rendering the fat into lard smelled much worse than processing a chicken, but I do have a whole house fan....

Ron

I wonder where a good spot to get some good lard would be. I actually do use lard. Shortening makes me gag - i can't buy it. Love lard for pie crusts and biscuits!

 

[zooweemama]

You appear to have been offended by my statement, not my intent at all. I wasn't really even commenting on a little girl's statement about her desires when she grows up. I was basically just agreeing with the statements that preceded mine.

My life hasn't made me to feel one way or the other, I'm not quite sure what you meant by that. At least anymore than anyone else's life experiences cause them to form into the person they are.

The internet is cr*p with trying to get across intent. My only point was I feel sorry for people that feel oppressed in their relationships. That feel someone else is responsible for their happiness. That is a recipe for disaster. I have always been an extremely independent person (took off at 19 and spent 3 mos hitchhiking through Europe by myself). I think it's important to be in a relationship that supports your beliefs and goals, but encourages your desires.

I've always said the biggest problem with my DH and I is we are enablers. If one were to say............."Let's get a pet wolverine!" The other would say................"Let's get two!"

For me, I married the person that was kinder to me than anyone else I had ever known. It was a good fit.

Deb

That's awesome. I am seeing my friends getting divorced left and right and it makes me so sad. And my sisters keep picking these jerks that cheat on them or treat them like garbage. It makes me definitely appreciate what I have so much more.

 

[ronott1]

Do not read if you do not want to read about my processing chickens.

I processed my first chicken today. I have to admit. That was hard. The twitching scared the crap out of my kids at first. Everyone was pretty on edge but wanted to be there. Even the 4 year old. No one cried but my husband looked near to it when I slit the chickens throat. I am trying not to think about it too much. For the soapy dip- I left the darn chicken in too long and he was partially cooked by the time I yanked him out. Lesson learned. Everyone was talking (6 people in the kitchen) and I was really overwhelmed by the whole thing. I did it all. My husband held his Kindle Fire with pics from the forum up. Reading and showing me pics. That helped a lot. Getting the guts out was hard because I was always afraid of rupturing something. took forever. Then I couldn't find the lungs. I butchered the poor bird. He deserved better than my hack job. I ended up skinning him because all the black pin feathers. Because he was already partially cooked I wasn;t comfortable putting him in the frisge to rest so he is simmering on the stove.

I have learned where the parts are and how to get them out. I have learned to slit the neck while the bird is already in the bucket to drain because it can get messy. I learned that chickens become zombies about 5 minutes after they die and convulse like crazy. Cut the tail off- not even worth trying to save. That was crazy talk to try. Cut the head off soon because it made it harder to get started with his little face there. That heritage chickens look bony. I forgot to weigh him but I bet he was about 3 pounds dressed and a good bit of that had to be bone because he was a big dude. One of the biggest we had in the meat pen.

Doing this 6 more times? Wow. I just can't think about it too much. I definitely respect where my meat comes from like never before. I thanked the chicken for his sacrifice. I hope he is tasty as a soup base. LOL I am proud of myself though. I did it.

Good Job Amy Beth!

The first time is the hardest and I am proud of you too

. Three pounds is plenty big enough. The legs and thighs make up for the smaller breast.

They sell a lung scraper and yes the lung is hard to get out sometimes. Don't worry about rupturing the Gall Bladder. It is low down in there and it really is not that easy to break. It is best to just reach up in there and get it all out. Save the neck for making stock.

Two more tomorrow?

Ron

 

[ronott1]

Quote:
Make friends with Kim(Capayvalleychick)

Check out local harvest on the web. There may be someone up there on their list. You might check out one of the custom butcher shops up there. There used to be one on Antelope BLVD. in Red Buff.

The History of Lard and Shortening is really bad. Something healthy was replace with something un healthy and most of us were fooled. Many died from heart disease because of it too. Crisco is actually bad for you.

Who would have thought that...

 

[zooweemama]

Good Job Amy Beth!

The first time is the hardest and I am proud of you too

. Three pounds is plenty big enough. The legs and thighs make up for the smaller breast.

They sell a lung scraper and yes the lung is hard to get out sometimes. Don't worry about rupturing the Gall Bladder. It is low down in there and it really is not that easy to break. It is best to just reach up in there and get it all out. Save the neck for making stock.

Two more tomorrow?

Ron

I am not looking forward to it at all but I do plan on it. I need to get them done and prolonging it all won't do anyone any good. LOL I am definitely glad I did the soapy dip though- feathers came right off. The wing area was really tricky though. I think I may skin all the black chickens because the rest are a lot smaller than the one we did today and it's too tedious salvaging the skin when I am not going to eat it anyway. Lower fat stock right? Rigor or something set in fast because that was crazy with his legs sticking out and since he had no boobies he was flopping left and right (meat chickens have nice meaty breasts and they sit flat on a cutting board). My husband had to hold the chicken for some of it so I could cut. lol