Have you ever been to a chicken farm? I went to one today where the chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and peacocks were all free range. The owner is a man from Bordeaux, France and he lives in Central Texas now with his wife and toddler.
I actually got to go because this was a photo assignment for 7:30AM (!) ten minutes from my house. Yes, I live near a chicken farm, now I know. I got there and after I opened the gate the watch peacock would not let me drive to the house. He kept darting in front of my car. I knocked on the door and discovered that I woke up the farmer. A rarity I am sure. He over slept he said, but got out the door and showed me around. Turkey on the roof of the coop, ducks and chickens living together, complete fowl anarchy.
He told me stories of how fast chickens grow, and what wildlife eat them. I didn't know that owls only eat the heads and necks and leave the rest. What a waste! He recently shot two bobcats he thought might be brothers because they kept raiding the yard. He kept the bodies to sell to a taxidermist. What a frugal idea! We talked about how the French like seeing heads on fowl at the market but Americans do not. How is compost heap is kept wet and cooks to 114 degrees so it breaks down the dead bodies of the chickens that are killed by owls.
He had a jack russell terrier, a black lab puppy and a young runt pig that he and his family took in. The pig and the terrier would snuffle the chickens. the puppy and the pig kept nosing my legs to where I was not sure who was there. The pig would stick his snout in the back of my knee so hard that my knee would buckle when I was not expecting it. Still he was cute.
Tomorrow I go back for the slaughter. He plans to kill and process some ducks. Not sure how photogenic that will be. He also is planning to make duck legs with fries for me to shoot. I hope I get to taste as well! He used to work at one of the best Italian restaurants in town. I am confident he is a good cook.
We shall see!
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