Buster
Lovin' The Homestead
Well, I feel I have taken one more step toward self sufficiency.
A friend took me with him to butcher a goat at a local goat farm. He is devout Muslim and so must slaughter his meat himself, lacking any acceptable slaughter houses within 100 miles. It was quite an experience.
The farmer sells his culls and crosses directly to individuals who in turn either have them slaughtered by a third party, or do it themselves, in facilities right on the farm. It is an old brooder the fellow had built for ostriches and emus back when such birds brought $100k for a pair, with a cement flooring and a drain gutter down the middle of the floor, which is ideal for such a job. Easy to wash out the blood and such.
My friend used the Halaal method of slaughter, which I had been dreading viewing. Without stunning or medicating, the goat is killed by slitting its carotid arteries, much like folks do broiler chickens.
I was surprised at how smooth and quick the death was. My friend is from Pakistan and has been slaughtering his own meat goats since a teen. He is very skilled, very gentle, very caring. The goat appeared at first surprised, then confused, then out, then dead. No look of pain or terror entered its eyes during the entire time.
Once dead, the goat was no longer an animal to me, but meat (much like processing chickens), so the rest was much easier to watch and occasionally assist with. His teen age son also assisted, while his ten year old looked on. They showed me how to skin, how to eviscerate, even save the brain and hooves for use in cooking (he uses much more than I would have anticipated). I like the touch when eviscerating of placing the hand inside the body cavity, pulling outward, and slicing the belly between the fingers to avoid cutting the innards. I learned the importance of having a big, heavy meat clever on hand for chopping through bone. Skinning looked much more difficult than anticipated, but doable.
In fact, it was all doable. I came away feeling like this is something I could handle by myself. I now have every confidence that I will be able to raise and butcher my own meat goats.
Although no Halaal for me. I will use a gun.
I will get one more practice run. Next time he slaughters one, he will kill it, then I will go through the entire process myself, with him only guiding me.
A friend took me with him to butcher a goat at a local goat farm. He is devout Muslim and so must slaughter his meat himself, lacking any acceptable slaughter houses within 100 miles. It was quite an experience.
The farmer sells his culls and crosses directly to individuals who in turn either have them slaughtered by a third party, or do it themselves, in facilities right on the farm. It is an old brooder the fellow had built for ostriches and emus back when such birds brought $100k for a pair, with a cement flooring and a drain gutter down the middle of the floor, which is ideal for such a job. Easy to wash out the blood and such.
My friend used the Halaal method of slaughter, which I had been dreading viewing. Without stunning or medicating, the goat is killed by slitting its carotid arteries, much like folks do broiler chickens.
I was surprised at how smooth and quick the death was. My friend is from Pakistan and has been slaughtering his own meat goats since a teen. He is very skilled, very gentle, very caring. The goat appeared at first surprised, then confused, then out, then dead. No look of pain or terror entered its eyes during the entire time.
Once dead, the goat was no longer an animal to me, but meat (much like processing chickens), so the rest was much easier to watch and occasionally assist with. His teen age son also assisted, while his ten year old looked on. They showed me how to skin, how to eviscerate, even save the brain and hooves for use in cooking (he uses much more than I would have anticipated). I like the touch when eviscerating of placing the hand inside the body cavity, pulling outward, and slicing the belly between the fingers to avoid cutting the innards. I learned the importance of having a big, heavy meat clever on hand for chopping through bone. Skinning looked much more difficult than anticipated, but doable.
In fact, it was all doable. I came away feeling like this is something I could handle by myself. I now have every confidence that I will be able to raise and butcher my own meat goats.
Although no Halaal for me. I will use a gun.
I will get one more practice run. Next time he slaughters one, he will kill it, then I will go through the entire process myself, with him only guiding me.
