August 17, 2016
The tradition of raising chickens for eggs and meat is continuing to be passed down to the next generation in Appalachia.
Tipper
Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.
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We have chickens, but I’ll admit, they’re more pets than farm animals. LOL
God bless.
RB
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tipper; we were more humane i think,we had a chopping block with two nails driven in the block about an inch and a half apart, then we would hypnotize,the chicken,and put their little neck in between the nails.then with a real shark hatchet slice their cute head. off ,painless huh? regards from k.o.h and the Dillsboro darter.
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To show the possum how its done.
Mission failed!
I still have chickens. Love gathering eggs and sell the surplus. Have ducks and geese too. It’s a pleasure watching them waddlel about our forty. They keep our pond weed free.
Yea, raising laying hens is a big thing around here, you see quite a few in back yards, at one time the fighting kind was really big but folks either got caught and figured it was not worth it or they traded them in on the laying kind.
Tipper,
When me and Harold was growing up, we wrung more chicken’s necks than Carter’s got pills, usually if it was for Sunday dinner, it took two pullets. But mama was more calm and although she was paralyzed in her left side, she’d scatter feed at her feet and there wasn’t nothing wrong with her right hand. Before long me and Harold was at the foot-log a skinning or sometimes pickin’ out the feathers. Boy, you can’t make fried chicken taste like that anymore…Ken
Tipper,
This morning I was still home when the Christian Radio Station come on with Paul and Pap and the Gang singing “Until Then”. Then Donna Lynn played another song by the Blind Pig and the Acorn with Paul and Pap doing the vocals. I was there at the Blairsville Courthouse with RFD Television folks was filming. And I told all them Tourists I was sitting with that they were in for a real treat. They weren’t disappointed! …Ken
Tipper,
Oh how I remember the wringing of the neck or chop for a chicken dinner at my aunts or granny’s. It was my job to hold the head under the wing, rotate the chicken in a circle until it was asleep, hand it over to my aunt for the chop. I didn’t stay around for the chop…ewww!
I can’t do that anymore! Gathering eggs is tolerated however!
Thanks Tipper,
ps love those oaks for shade over the chicken lot but the raccoons would just climb out and drop in!
The hens would eventually figure how to fly out with the trees help!
Love the picture!
I can’t remember a time growing up that we didn’t have chickens. Gathering eggs was a daily chore, and killing, picking, and frying a chicken was a Sunday treat.
A time or two I have swapped eggs for candy at Verdi Ledford’s Country Store. Some people would swap chickens for coffee, flour, or other items. It was called bartering.
Those handed-down lifeways, skills, traditions and stories are some of the ties that bind us to home. One I remember was turning an umbrella magnolia leaf (we called them wahoo) into a drinking cup to catch a drink from a little trickle.
I’ve noticed that Chitter and Chatter are very generous and willing to pass on what they know to the younger kids in the neighborhood/family. Recently Chitter went to Tim’s and taught his little boy to tie his shoes. The little boy is left handed like Chitter and he needed another left handed person to teach him.