“All dressed out and someplace to go”

The Silence of the Cornish Game Hens

After twelve weeks of raising the birds, their time had come.  Ideally, they are supposed to be dressed out after ten weeks or so.  Nevertheless, all ten hens were still very much alive, plump and healthy. In accordance with protocol, we stopped feeding them a day before their slaughter appointment, which was to be 8 AM Saturday morning.   

The first step was to load the birds into the back of our truck to drive them the four hours to our friends’ farm in New Hampshire.  We made the hens’ appointment with the grim reaper into a weekend-long event with friends at Black Sheep Farm in Ossipee.  Our friends have a lovely historic farm stead and they have been inspirational for us in our livestock pursuits, besides… we always have a great time when we get together.   Arriving in New Hampshire Friday night, our ten hens met twenty-five of our friends’ hens for their last night on earth.   

Early the next morning, about 6:00 AM to be exact, we loaded up the 35 birds in the back of a pickup.  We drove to a one-man slaughter stand, which is currently un-named, but as he later told us with a smile, is considering the name “Last Stop Chicken Shop”. 

The operation was located in the front yard of his house in very rural New Hampshire.  He took the time to explain to us, in not too much detail, the whole process.  He had invested in the equipment for his own use but since it was no small investment he decided to branch out and provide the dressing service for some other folks. We were among the fortunate few.  His operation was fresh and clean, his farm organic and he only charged $2.00/bird for his services.  Here are the gory details:

Step 1: Birds get put upside down in cones.  The carotid artery is cut and they bleed out.

Step 2:  Birds are scalded in Boiling Water Tank #1.  This kills bacteria and begins to loosen feathers. 

Step 3: The birds are tumbled to remove feathers.

Step 4. The birds are rinsed again and then beheaded, entrails cleaned, crop, oil gland, etc removed.

Step 5. Feet and any remaining feathers removed. 

Step 6. Rinse clean and pack in vacuum bag.

They came back to us looking a bit like birds you would buy in the market.  But we knew what they ate, and that they were fresh, clean, and organic.

Our birds were big and one even dressed out at 6½ pounds.  They are roosting in our freezer and they sure will look good coming out of the rotisserie.  Now, in the words of Ron Popeil, we just have to “set it and forget it”.