Slaughtering the Chickens in Italy

Alright! Early to rise to get the farm chores done, or at least the effect. Anna and I were the last to make it over to nextdoor…at 7 A.M. Last night the Uncle had slaughtered the necks. “There’s two ways to kill a chicken.” Infamous last words by Anne and Jemma and Joanne.

It was a ceremony. First the Uncle held the gestorbenden Hühne by its feet and dipped it in boiling Wasser, then ripped out all of the große weiß feathers throwing them into a wheelbarrow. Then he thanked it over onto our Tisch where Anne, Mama and I grossly plucked die Kleine hairs out.It was thoroughly unpleasant. Guts all over and the swarming flies we were constantly swatting.

Then the Aunt did the real dirty-work. That’s the part taking out die Innerings she divided them up, throwing ‘em into two separate buckets- Edible and Non. Then Marissa and Gem had the chore of washing in Kaltes Wasser and peeling off the gold skin from the feet. Mmm hmm good. We hosed down, cleaned up and got the heck outta there.

Ann and I escaped to the other Auntie’s house.

Summer 1990 in Peidemonte Italy