Pincher Creek Colony Annual Duck Slaughter
I was supposed to photograph the Hutterites working in the garden, but when no one was there I drove to the colony to see what they were up to. Rosa, from the colony e-mails me and lets me know when I can come and shoot, but there is only one phone number for the colony so I made my first unannounced visit.
Wednesday was their annual duck slaughter. The birds are killed in the barn and delivered to the slaughter house. This girl helps move the ducks to the end of the John Deer Gator so they are easier to grab and move to the steamer.
The ducks are steamed and them moved onto a plucking table.
When it comes to ducks, everyone in the community is asked to help. Unlike the chickens they have to pluck the birds by hand and then they save the down and make pillows and blankets.
When they are plucked and the wings have been chopped off, they move the ducks inside and dip them in cheese wax and then dunk them in cold water so the wax hardens.
This is Rosa removing the pin feathers by pulling of the wax. Once the wax is removed they put in back in the pot to reuse it.
The carcasses are then put on the line and the organs are removed and then they get to this man. He snips of the feet and throws them into a big cart of water. I walked by right as he through a duck I can covered in bloody duck water. He laughed at me, so I laughed and took his picture.
Due to the hand plucking it took over 15 hours to finish the slaughter of 1,400 ducks.
Wednesday was their annual duck slaughter. The birds are killed in the barn and delivered to the slaughter house. This girl helps move the ducks to the end of the John Deer Gator so they are easier to grab and move to the steamer.
The ducks are steamed and them moved onto a plucking table.
When it comes to ducks, everyone in the community is asked to help. Unlike the chickens they have to pluck the birds by hand and then they save the down and make pillows and blankets.
When they are plucked and the wings have been chopped off, they move the ducks inside and dip them in cheese wax and then dunk them in cold water so the wax hardens.
This is Rosa removing the pin feathers by pulling of the wax. Once the wax is removed they put in back in the pot to reuse it.
The carcasses are then put on the line and the organs are removed and then they get to this man. He snips of the feet and throws them into a big cart of water. I walked by right as he through a duck I can covered in bloody duck water. He laughed at me, so I laughed and took his picture.
Due to the hand plucking it took over 15 hours to finish the slaughter of 1,400 ducks.
posted by Charla Huber at 7:28 PM
2 Comments:
Wow Charla, very nice. I really like the shot of the plucking table with a few. Of course the pic of the little girl working is a sure winner. Hmmmm I wonder if there is a child labour law story coming.
Hey Charla, good stuff, I am sure the scent was somewhat similar to that of the chicken plucking. I like the one with the feathers and the people on either side, it is a good angle and fills the frame with relevant content. Tight n' Bright. heh.
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