Growing Chickens in Africa

Food here is expensive, especially protein. At our little grocery store we can purchase whole chickens in the freezer section, similar to what you would buy in the states. They weigh about 2.5 lb (the whole bird). and cost about $6-7. This hardly feeds our family for one meal. (And, we are about to add a precious young lady to our table every meal.) So, Lee began to think of some type of solution to our protein problem.

He decided to put his knowledge of poultry farming and his agricultural education degree from Auburn to work and raise some chickens himself. 

The first problem he encountered was finding these 1 or 2 day old chicks. They are not available in Quelimane. So, on a trip to Nampula about 2 months ago he purchased 40 chicks and brought them home in a footlocker.

So tiny and cute!
Lilly and Emma quickly started to name them and pet them.
Lee said over and over, "Don't pet them and don't name them.
They are for eating. Don't get attached"

One-by-one the girls put them into their new home.

The weeks passed. Emma and Lee worked hard to feed and water them multiple times a day. The little cute chicks grew and grew into fine looking birds, perfect for eating! And we didn't lose a ONE!

Here they are now

One of the bigger ones weighed in at about 4.5 lb.
He was the first one to make it to the table!

So, the day came to kill the first bird. Our precious houseworker, Pascoa, had no problem with the task. She has prepared many chickens in her time.

Here they are getting ready to move the chosen one to the room at the back of our property
for seclusion so he wouldn't eat breakfast :)

Lee put it in there and Lilly and Emma wanted a peak. 

 The girls really didn't want to see the actually killing, but wanted to participate in the other stuff. So, after Pascoa did her thing with the big knife, she brought it in and the girls joined her.

Bird ready to prepare

Emma working on the feathers

Pascoa finishing the feathers

Meghan.....not so fond of this process

Poor guy

What a nice looking chicken!!
It sure beats what we have been eating.
All of the nationals that saw it that day couldn't believe how large it was.

Little Odie....waiting for something to drop!

In the end, Lee and I weighed the pieces (breasts, legs, wings, and thighs) and it totaled 2.2 lb. Pascoa took home EVERYTHING else to eat, except the toenails and gizzard (head, feet, back, heart, liver, intestines, stomach, skin, etc.).

39 more to go!

Tracy