A farmer walks through harvesting cattle on his land, starting with a 410-slug and slit-throating, keeping the herd calm with alfalfa and killing the subordinate cow first to avoid panic. He shares practical details about tool maintenance, managing stress, and cooling carcasses on ice before transport to the butcher.
Visually walking through it to make sure I have everything good. We got it loaded, 410 slug. Then they drop, hopefully, and you slit their throat. So I've got my knife on here. I'd like to catch their blood if we can, spread it out a little more evenly. It's a fertility for the land. Oh, we need alfalfa to get them to be still for us, and he's coming with that. And then— oh, we need the machine. See, I'm glad we're walking through this, or else you're You got a cow on the ground and you feel sort of rushed and you got to go start the machine and switch out the bucket. Kill the subordinate one first, especially if there was 3 or 4 of them. Because if you killed the dominant one first, all of a sudden the other— if there are 4, all of a sudden the other 3 are like, who's boss? People often tell me, you're crazy, that's so mean, killing in front of their friends. Well, I'm killing them how they would want to be killed, right? So yeah, you don't kill a human in front of their friend, but a cow, if we were to separate them and they were to be by themselves, they fear separation more than death. So they would just be so nervous and scared and jittery. So it's why we kill them in front of your friends and see it doesn't really bother them. It's not like— it's not this cruel thing. In fact, we're not going to fool around too much and we're going to get him down, uh, because we don't want him to be alone too long. I thought we had these sharpened. Yeah, I sent these off for sharpening, but for some reason they're not sharp. I'm wondering if I'm crazy and it really didn't do it. They also might just be really dull. It's a little Work Sharp sharpener. How you hanging in there, bud? Fine. In reviewing this video, you were right there, 12 years old, just like you are right now. We made the mistake of not pulling the alfalfa after the first one. This guy wasn't hungry, so he wasn't coming at the food like crazy. He stood still enough, just standing there, so eventually I just got him standing up. How come you don't jump in there? I don't know what to do. Prefer the machine? You want me to show you what to do? I'll show you on this next one. We're gonna go ahead and start in on this other one. There's, you know, we're all kind of just standing around and watching, and we want to get this done by noon. This flush is just going to be out just on ice. We don't want it to get too warm. I want to cool it off fast. He had a big heart. That's his heart. Yeah, he did have a big heart. I'll show y'all a party trick. Okay, party trick time. Do it again, do it again. Oh wow. Am I grabbing? Absolutely nothing. What? Whoa, you guys all right? Yes, yeah, we're fine. There you go. Here it goes. That one's bad. That's bad. Oh my gosh, that's starting to get me. It's also the angle of your saw. Angle you'll saw versus on. Oh yeah. If Austin's saying I shouldn't be changing this blade, he can use the old one. Hard on you, isn't he? I didn't need to train this morning. There it is. You never get sick of this feeling. The after-harvest, the carcasses in the barrel going to be broken down. It's a good feeling that never gets old. Can't leave without hugs. Come here. It's a fun combo. Big Daddy, Jonah going about an hour away to take him to the butcher to have it broken down. Make a time for them, spend time together.
If I had to start my Homestead all over again, it could only pick one animal… 
