Our homestead status leveled up this past month in many ways. After many months of searching, we are in negotiations for our very own property.  Land of our own would certainly allow us a much higher degree of self-sustainability (I already ordered new seeds!).  The other important milestone we surmounted was the dispatch and processing of a guinea fowl.  It had been creating chaos (ultimately, it was this one, another guinea, and sadly, my favorite rooster that had to go). We had to get rid of it (them) and I needed to learn how to process meat anyhow. Here is a little of my thoughts and a little peek into my experience.

The hardest physical part of it all was plucking.  I think I didn’t have the water hot enough.  It was cold out and I had brought the water down from the kitchen just before we killed the guinea,   and it sat for about ten minutes before I could dip the meat. The plucking took FOREVER. I now have a chicken plucker high up on my wish list. Seriously. That was very tedious for one scrawny little guinea.  The gutting was easy.  I did it like a pro, only barely knicking the crop, and removing everything else intact, with no mess.   However, I think our first investment in the new place will be in some meat birds.

The hardest mental part was the killing, which I had a friend do.  It didn’t go as planned, and I ended up cutting its head off anyway with my knife. All in all, it wasn’t too bad for my first time and I can do it all myself next time. It wasn’t enjoyable, but providing healthy, wholesome meat for my family certainly will be now that I leveled up.

I am becoming one  Tough. Mother. Plucker!