Getting ready to bid adieu

WARNING:  philosophical, introspective post ahead

Red Ranger-ish Hen

We're down to the last week with our Red Rangers (or not) chickens.  It's this time of the process when I start feeling a little glum about the final outcome, the actual doing of the deed.  Neither the husband nor I relish the killing of the birds, and since we've experienced the act of butchering several times now, I almost dread it.  But that said, it serves a purpose more than just filling our freezer with healthy, home raised food.  Getting to know our food on a more personal, intimate, day-to-day basis gives us a chance to face our humanity, to look our dinner in the eye and say I respect you and the life you are giving to my family and myself.  I've chronicled several of the reasons why we raise backyard meat birds before, but one I didn't think about at the time was how raising and butchering these animals changes me.  Since we're not large scale poultry farmers and I've fully admitted to having a soft heart, this is a process to which I've not become immune.  And as a result, I think I'm still able to treat it with the reverence it deserves and to be thankful for our food in a deeper way.

Here's to our chickens, the satisfaction of raising them and the humanity we gain from them.

/introspection