Monday, September 29, 2008

Turkey Butchering Day/Homeschool Science!

Here's my handsome hubby after hunting, before the back-to-work-mandatory shave.

Since he was gone for weeks, and didn't get an elk, I decided to put him to work...butchering one of the turkey hens. He hasn't done it in a couple years, some of you may remember that tragic story...never mind!

Good man that he is, he was game (ha ha!)
It wasn't that big of a deal until I went out to see about helping, and found that this was the hen who had been laying eggs. Bummer. It turned into a great science lab though, when the little kids came to help, and were fascinated (as was I) with the fact that the hen had dozens and dozens of egg yolks- potential eggs I imagine, not yet fully formed, in her cavity- they were all of various sizes.



Some the size of hen's yolks, some the size of caviar!


This was quite different from the chickens...they had various sizes, but many had soft shells or transparent shells...the hen's had no shells at all.



I thought this was a very interesting thing. The kids did too, so we had to get pictures. Life on a ranch is never dull, and I am so grateful. The fact that we can raise animals makes up somewhat for my lack of gardening skills.
Two more turkeys to go!
I may just let "Tom" live though- he is so handsome and is always willing to fan out his tail feathers and show off for me, much like my darling husband who makes muscles for me to show off *U* I love it!




5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the "tutorial" LOL We have 12 turkeys to butcher and even though we have done our own chickens for a couple of years, people keep telling us DONT have them butchered. Well I cant imagine why, it is already a nasty job and turkeys are just bigger. So we are going to go ahead anyway and start this weekend. I am not paying $5 per turkey for someone else to do it! We have the "egg thing" with the chickens, its amazing to me. According to Hubby's Gram they are born with all the eggs they will ever lay.

    Renee

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  2. Cool, huh? IT wasn't so bad (this time)
    We are born with all the eggs we will ever have too. God is amazing!

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  3. That is soooo cool!! My girls would be very interested in something like that. They have been around butchering of other animals but not chickens or turkeys yet....

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  4. Well of all things! I never would have guessed. Can't wait to share this with the boys.

    Smiles,
    Lea

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  5. that really is neat. you guys are so cool!

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