The end of the hens....for this year!

Today was the day!

The chickens have been molting for well over a month.  Even though we have had some of the most beautiful November weather on record, I was getting maybe one egg a day.  The hens are almost two years old and it was time to say goodbye.  I will be getting either four or six new pullets in March next year.

My brother-in-law Joe came over to do the deed.....He and hubby did the killing and Joe and I did the plucking and cleaning, etc.

For those of you who do not want to see this process, please proceed with caution.  The pictures aren't grisly but they are a true representation...

First off, Joe cut off their heads and let them bleed out.   You can't really see much above.
Next,  Joe started plucking feathers.......

I channeled my dad.  I asked him for strength and all of a sudden, I started plucking the second one!  This one was the Silver Wyandotte and was my dad's favorite!

Here is one almost all done....

Joe is scraping the last of the feathers.  The big pot held the boiling water, which we dipped them into to help get rid of the hardest feather quills.  

I offered Joe one of the soup chickens.  He told me my sister would not want that in the house.....I need to have a discussion with my sister!

So, I froze two chickens for another time and two went into the pot for soup.  

I think tomorrow, it will be chicken with rice soup for dinner.....