"here. . . chickchickchickchick!"

The Hillmans in Ireland keep a very cool blog detailing their country life and Sally Gardens Smallholding.

Today, they talked about raising chickens.

This is of interest to me, as I have become more and more incapable of ignoring the conditions under which we seem to be producing our "food" here in the States. Food mass-produced becomes inhuman at some level. I think we reached that level a long time ago, but I'm only just now being forced to recognize it. I will not go into details. We all 'know' what we're trying so hard not to know. . . . Suffice it to say that I am avoiding the "bargain" chicken slaughter on offer at the local supermarket. At present, I have assuaged my complicity by buying "organic" or "free-range", but it may very well come to the point of buying local, where I can actually see the conditions under which animals we eat are being raised.

Consider what the Hillmans point out:

[It's] four months from hatching to table in comparison to just over thirty days for most commercially grown chicken. Our chicken will be far superior in flavour, low in fat and high in nutrients thanks to their slow growth, organic feed and happy free ranging lifestyle.

What I really enjoyed, however, is reading about their life with the animals, and observation of the animals' lives and habits. Not all the chickens are destined "for the table." Like beef, it's generally the young males. Sorry, guys!

I don't think I could bring myself to "dispatch" any chicken, though, except under dire necessity, so I'm thinking I'm just a hypocrite, coming and going.

I have friends and family, however, who might not be horribly averse to dispatching [EEEEK-- and "cleaning" !!!] a chicken. . . . if we were to find ourselves with a chicken or two on hand, and a few extras roaming around?

[Just teasing, my king.] sort of. . . .