httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h81Ojd3d2rY
Oh yeah….how I loved The Mamas & The Papas!!!
This Monday morning I think my barnyard was singing this to me. Monday Monday. BaDa Ba Da Da Da Can’t trust that day! It just turns out that way!!!
I harvested the Guineas this morning and it will never stop amazing me how the entire barnyard comes to a stop. They are so intuitive. The chickens run for cover. Buddy Burger stood right over my shoulder watching the entire process. I told him not to look that his day was coming soon also. Buddy sniffed the air of fresh blood. He truly amazed me that he knew something was up.
Man, it makes it hard when you have 40 eyeballs fixed on you! I could almost hear them yelling….”you guinea killer!!!! Better run cause it’s you next!”
Honestly I don’t like this job. It doesn’t get any easier. Especially when they are all watching. And I can see why some people choose to take their birds to a processor. But really, that only causes more stress on the animal. I usually hush them and chit chat while we take the death walk. However, with the one Guinea that pecked and bit me and fought to get out of my grasp, well, it wasn’t quite as hard. Those little birds are SO high strung!!! If there ever was a ADHD bird…it’s the guinea!!!
I wanted to show those of you new to all this killin just what things look like inside of a bird. Nothing gory, just a few parts.
These are the gizzards.
I love the amazing colors of these pastured birds. Bright. Golden Fat. Deep Rich Colors of a healthy animal!
The gizzard is located in the lower end of the bird. When you eviscerate the bird you want to be VERY careful not to puncture the intestines or the gallbladder. If you’ve never done a bird….here is an excellent site that will guide you through it.
The gizzard is a thick muscular organ that grinds up the food. For this reason…since birds don’t have teeth, they eat lots of tiny pebbles and stones that grind their food for digestion.
You split it open and there is a tough layer made of the carbohydrate-protein complex koilin. It peels right off.
Here’s the crop where the undigested food collects.
Opened up you find grain and lots of grass.
They appear to be mostly dark meat. And might I add a tad difficult to pluck. But making sure you’re water is at the correct temperature for scalding helps. I like it at 152*F. For me that’s perfect.
If I needed a new pillow I sure could of made one with all the downy feathers these tiny little birds have.
Several hours later I was finished. And I enjoyed the work of my hands. I had THE MOST delicious liver and heart fried with onions and kale! It was the very best I’ve ever had. Sweet. Tender. And I wanted more! But with only 4 guineas and a few messed up livers, I was grateful for that meal of utmost nutrition.
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I’m sorry to hear about your intolerance to chicken. Muscovy ducks are what we’re aiming for. The ducks we have right now provide some beautiful eggs and fat, but the meat was a disappointment. I was able to render 2 cups of fat from each duck, but the meat was only a few ounces. Muscovy ducks are supposed to be much bigger and they don’t quack either!
My ducks stay up all night partying, so muscovies will be a welcome change. Have you tried quail or rabbit? When we put our greenhouse up, we’ll let loose quail in there, and meat rabbits are just a matter of time before we add them to our menu.
I wonder if you can infuse the guinea with a nice animal fat. Have you ever seen those long meat needles? Put a really nice mixture of garlic and herb infused fat into the syringe and inject it right into the guinea. It could add that extra flavor and fat needed.
I know what you mean Angela, but our Freedom Rangers the first year also weighed out at 2.5# each. That was a total waste of time and feed. Currently I’m IgG intolerant to chicken and so I figure this is the next best thing. And I know you understand that one! I can’t even do chicken broth, so the Guinea is a completely different family and I’m hoping I can tolerate it. My food intolerances are very serious with an immediate reaction and closing of my throat, so I have to get really serious and I’m hoping….really hoping the guinea works for me. That’s what our ducks were for before the fox ate them! Plus I need to get up my greenhouse and the guineas would of torn it to shreds. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!!!
I’ve heard that guinea fowl are extremely low in fat and very lean meat. We’ve debated whether to get guineas as a food source or not, and in the end we just decided not to bother. I’m not saying that’s set in stone, but if we do get them it will be to add to the diversity of the land and we won’t be culling them for meals. They seem too squirelly to even bother.
I’ll let you know Farm Mom. They are still chillin for a few more days. I have an idea that they are going to taste wonderful!!!
I’m impressed with your photos and how clean your table is.
Having done it many times, I agree, it doesn’t seem to get easier to start, but in doing 30+ each time, after a few, it becomes second nature.
LOVE that golden yellow fat!! How does the Guinea taste in comparison to the pasture chickens?