1st time processing turkey tips

[PaigeHgibson]

I am new too turkeys and plan on raising one up for thanksgiving ,

Please explain to me how to prepare and dress the bird dressing is the most confusing to me
and best Humane killing method please

I love my birds but my grandma has been begging me to raise up some turkeys , picking them up tommorow
Pictures are helpful to

Thank you

The birds will be very well cared for the whole time i have them

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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[PaigeHgibson]

Thank you so much

 

[Unclebean]

Steve,

Do you hand pluck or use a mechanical plucker?

 

[Dogfish]

Use a pulley at the top of a ladder, attach bird after "bagging". Kill, scald, pluck. You don't take the bird off the rope until you gut it.

 

[PaigeHgibson]

Thank you for the pictures they are very helpful , have printed them so i have a guide

 

[Dogfish]

Cut a hole in one corner of the bag. Slip the bag over the bird's head and bring the head out. It sounds hard, but it was pretty easy. The bag controls the wings.

 

[PotterWatch]

The tip on using a feed bag is a great one. Last year a group of us did about 15 turkeys and we ended up having one person with their arms wrapped around the bird and another person cutting the throat. They both ended up covered in blood. As I was driving home, I was really hoping I wouldn't get pulled over for anything. That would have been interesting explaining away my blood-soaked clothes and the knife wrapped in a towel on the seat next to me...

 

[Steve_of_sandspoultry]

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[augustmomx2]

I found this link to be more than helpful...not that I've butchered a turkey, or chicken for that matter

Its from BYC's sister-site

http://www.sufficientself.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6387