Christine and Graham McCauley are the owners of Wedgetail Ridge Dexter Stud located in Bullsbrook, they run three + cattle on there farm and also have Alpacas, Sheep and Chickens. Plus to gorgeous labradors! They have tried the home killing experience and also Christine cures her own hides! There are many amazing things you could learn for Christine! - Chelsea Kelley
Why we have Dexters and the home killing experience.
SETTING THE SCENE – WHY WE HAVE DEXTERS.
We had just purchased this beautiful 5.8acre property in Bullsbrook, fantastic views, great dam and lots of untouched green grass, a few glasses of wine in the evening would see us brimming with ideas for our future new home and ‘Life in Retirement’. As we neared the summer months the grass turned brown and the words ‘fire breaks, slashing, fuel on the ground’ got us wondering what an earth we should, and how would we deal with this, “put some stock on it” was the most popular answer! Off I trotted with some friends to the Royal Show – my first time without the children, it was bliss. Discovered that goats would probably find their way up, over or under the not so good fences and the same with sheep who would also need some attention with shearing etc. but then found these small lovely Dexter cattle that I could look down on as opposed to the other way round, good temperament and they would also pretty much be able to look after themselves. We found the Dexter members extremely helpful, accommodating and very supportive - the next thing was two beautiful cows just in calf munching away at the grass – mission accomplished!
THE DECISION TO SLAUGHTER
You’re 90% of the way there if you have decided to slaughter your animals for food – we had made that decision from the beginning to do this, but would deal with it when the time came!!. Again over a few glasses of wine in the evening, we would discuss how lovely it would be to have our own meat, to know what the animal had eaten, how it had been treated and knowing it was truly free range, and how we cringed seeing the way some animals are treated and then not knowing if that was what was on your plate!
Our two cows turned into four, (I was there when one calf was born it was amazing – but that’s another story) and somewhere along the way we acquired another cow in calf so we ended up with six. Our house was all finished and we had moved in it was just wonderful being able to wake up in the morning and watch the cows, wander down and feed them and talk to them, they do know what you are saying and will nod in agreement most of the time, and give you a nice slurpy lick to say thankyou. The squeals of delight we get from the grandchildren are priceless as they hand feed them, also clearly shows they are not intimidated by their size or demeanour.
OK, decision time had come, this was after all our plan, the greediest and bossiest lost her immunity.
THE HOME KILLING EXPERIENCE
We had by this stage already taken two to the slaughter house but then the opportunity arose to experience the slaughtering at home.
Our friends were horrified at the thought, we were all for it - not having to transport our dearly loved animal to the slaughter house and then to leave them there all alone overnight, saying goodbye and thank you for being a part of our lives and telling them you love them half a dozen times before walking away, and being very quiet all the way home hoping that they will be ok without you – stupid I know, but that’s how we felt. Anyway, biggest part of the home kill was digging the hole for the unwanted bits, which we secretly really enjoyed as we got to play on the little mini Kubota BX25 backhoe-loader, never had a Tonka Toy as a kid – got a real one now!!
We had to decide where ‘it’ was going to take place – we didn’t want the other cows to be able to see, or the sheep or the alpacas and for that matter the chickens too, so planned to feed them at opposite sides of the paddocks with feed strategically placed so they would be facing the other way. We also needed a tree to hoist the carcass up for the butcher to be able to work easily, and to have running water available. I was also concerned about where all the blood was going as I didn’t want that to be in a place where any of the other animals would be, I am imagining a river of blood at this point! Realistically you are looking at about 55ml per kilo, which when you consider it doesn’t all rush out at once is not really that much. The best place was actually just outside of what I call the ‘holding pen’ (small paddock with another pen inside to tie the cows up to when needed). The young steer “Johnny Boy” was already there quite happy munching away on some hay.
A vehicle turns up at the agreed time towing a small cool room, we did the meet and greet business, he seemed like a really nice man and the atmosphere was light and jovial, I felt very happy and relaxed as he didn’t look or act like the grim reaper or an axeman – your mind can conjure up all sorts of things! We located a place for the cool room on the veranda side of our shed which had shade and power. Whilst we are still chatting he gets his tools all ready, the hoist and rope are ready to go then he opens his gun case, that’s my cue to get Johnny Boy into place, I have a tub of feed ready, Johnny is already at the gate looking at everybody and the tub of course, clearly there is nothing to make him suspect what is going to happen next, no smells or clanking of chains to make him wary, no death march music playing in the background – yes these things do play through your mind like in the movies - I open the gate and he just saunters up to the tub and bang! That’s it, done, no fuss, no pain, no stress. I suppose I felt a bit like ‘oh is that it’! Not even any wailing from the other animals who were completely oblivious to the whole thing all quite happily eating (facing the other way of course).
The butcher was straight onto it, slit the throat, and no, we were not standing ankle deep in red stuff. There was of course the twitching, but realistically no different to any other animals, chickens or fish etc – they all do it! Rope on and hoisted up with the help of the Kubota once again, love that machine! He very carefully skinned the carcass for me (this is yet another story) I have been curing my own hides, have to admit not very good at it but I have three hides on my floor that I fondly rub my toes on - even when the freezer is empty they are still with us! Anyway, it is fantastic to see what happens and the butcher works like a machine – I have to add here that you don’t have to watch if you don’t want to and I am really glad that we only have Dexters and nothing bigger! The hide is off, the insides are all out and the extremities are all gone, hide in the shed, bone for the dog and bits in the hole, quartered by the chain saw and then hung in the cool room, this stays with us for about a week then he comes back and chops the meat up as required.
We have a friend who cries when she sees a truck load of sheep or cows going off to market, and who thought she could never eat our meat, but now ponders on the life of the animals whose meat she sees in the shops and happily joins us on a regular basis for a meal – meat of course!
Our 8 year old granddaughter asked me “Why is that cow in that paddock Nanna?” I reply “His time is up” a few weeks later “Nanna you know that cow that was in that paddock, is that this one on my plate?” I reply “Yes dear” “OK, thankyou Nanna he’s yummy”!......... I rest my case.
- Christine McCauley
Visit Wedgetail's photo album on facebook by "Clicking Here"
Contact Christine or Graham by - Email: [email protected]
We had just purchased this beautiful 5.8acre property in Bullsbrook, fantastic views, great dam and lots of untouched green grass, a few glasses of wine in the evening would see us brimming with ideas for our future new home and ‘Life in Retirement’. As we neared the summer months the grass turned brown and the words ‘fire breaks, slashing, fuel on the ground’ got us wondering what an earth we should, and how would we deal with this, “put some stock on it” was the most popular answer! Off I trotted with some friends to the Royal Show – my first time without the children, it was bliss. Discovered that goats would probably find their way up, over or under the not so good fences and the same with sheep who would also need some attention with shearing etc. but then found these small lovely Dexter cattle that I could look down on as opposed to the other way round, good temperament and they would also pretty much be able to look after themselves. We found the Dexter members extremely helpful, accommodating and very supportive - the next thing was two beautiful cows just in calf munching away at the grass – mission accomplished!
THE DECISION TO SLAUGHTER
You’re 90% of the way there if you have decided to slaughter your animals for food – we had made that decision from the beginning to do this, but would deal with it when the time came!!. Again over a few glasses of wine in the evening, we would discuss how lovely it would be to have our own meat, to know what the animal had eaten, how it had been treated and knowing it was truly free range, and how we cringed seeing the way some animals are treated and then not knowing if that was what was on your plate!
Our two cows turned into four, (I was there when one calf was born it was amazing – but that’s another story) and somewhere along the way we acquired another cow in calf so we ended up with six. Our house was all finished and we had moved in it was just wonderful being able to wake up in the morning and watch the cows, wander down and feed them and talk to them, they do know what you are saying and will nod in agreement most of the time, and give you a nice slurpy lick to say thankyou. The squeals of delight we get from the grandchildren are priceless as they hand feed them, also clearly shows they are not intimidated by their size or demeanour.
OK, decision time had come, this was after all our plan, the greediest and bossiest lost her immunity.
THE HOME KILLING EXPERIENCE
We had by this stage already taken two to the slaughter house but then the opportunity arose to experience the slaughtering at home.
Our friends were horrified at the thought, we were all for it - not having to transport our dearly loved animal to the slaughter house and then to leave them there all alone overnight, saying goodbye and thank you for being a part of our lives and telling them you love them half a dozen times before walking away, and being very quiet all the way home hoping that they will be ok without you – stupid I know, but that’s how we felt. Anyway, biggest part of the home kill was digging the hole for the unwanted bits, which we secretly really enjoyed as we got to play on the little mini Kubota BX25 backhoe-loader, never had a Tonka Toy as a kid – got a real one now!!
We had to decide where ‘it’ was going to take place – we didn’t want the other cows to be able to see, or the sheep or the alpacas and for that matter the chickens too, so planned to feed them at opposite sides of the paddocks with feed strategically placed so they would be facing the other way. We also needed a tree to hoist the carcass up for the butcher to be able to work easily, and to have running water available. I was also concerned about where all the blood was going as I didn’t want that to be in a place where any of the other animals would be, I am imagining a river of blood at this point! Realistically you are looking at about 55ml per kilo, which when you consider it doesn’t all rush out at once is not really that much. The best place was actually just outside of what I call the ‘holding pen’ (small paddock with another pen inside to tie the cows up to when needed). The young steer “Johnny Boy” was already there quite happy munching away on some hay.
A vehicle turns up at the agreed time towing a small cool room, we did the meet and greet business, he seemed like a really nice man and the atmosphere was light and jovial, I felt very happy and relaxed as he didn’t look or act like the grim reaper or an axeman – your mind can conjure up all sorts of things! We located a place for the cool room on the veranda side of our shed which had shade and power. Whilst we are still chatting he gets his tools all ready, the hoist and rope are ready to go then he opens his gun case, that’s my cue to get Johnny Boy into place, I have a tub of feed ready, Johnny is already at the gate looking at everybody and the tub of course, clearly there is nothing to make him suspect what is going to happen next, no smells or clanking of chains to make him wary, no death march music playing in the background – yes these things do play through your mind like in the movies - I open the gate and he just saunters up to the tub and bang! That’s it, done, no fuss, no pain, no stress. I suppose I felt a bit like ‘oh is that it’! Not even any wailing from the other animals who were completely oblivious to the whole thing all quite happily eating (facing the other way of course).
The butcher was straight onto it, slit the throat, and no, we were not standing ankle deep in red stuff. There was of course the twitching, but realistically no different to any other animals, chickens or fish etc – they all do it! Rope on and hoisted up with the help of the Kubota once again, love that machine! He very carefully skinned the carcass for me (this is yet another story) I have been curing my own hides, have to admit not very good at it but I have three hides on my floor that I fondly rub my toes on - even when the freezer is empty they are still with us! Anyway, it is fantastic to see what happens and the butcher works like a machine – I have to add here that you don’t have to watch if you don’t want to and I am really glad that we only have Dexters and nothing bigger! The hide is off, the insides are all out and the extremities are all gone, hide in the shed, bone for the dog and bits in the hole, quartered by the chain saw and then hung in the cool room, this stays with us for about a week then he comes back and chops the meat up as required.
We have a friend who cries when she sees a truck load of sheep or cows going off to market, and who thought she could never eat our meat, but now ponders on the life of the animals whose meat she sees in the shops and happily joins us on a regular basis for a meal – meat of course!
Our 8 year old granddaughter asked me “Why is that cow in that paddock Nanna?” I reply “His time is up” a few weeks later “Nanna you know that cow that was in that paddock, is that this one on my plate?” I reply “Yes dear” “OK, thankyou Nanna he’s yummy”!......... I rest my case.
- Christine McCauley
Visit Wedgetail's photo album on facebook by "Clicking Here"
Contact Christine or Graham by - Email: [email protected]