A century of Turkey talk 2000-2100.

[KF0002]

I pluck if it's warm out. I use a turkey fryer pot. The one year I had 17lb dressed and I had to flip him in the pot to get the tail and lower legs. I have a yardbird plucker but have to take neck,feet and long wing and tail feathers off first. Sometimes gets stuck and needs flipping....still have to pluck some by hand.
I turn the house water heater up it gets to 160f. I only do a couple birds at a time... lately just one.
Otherwise I bring in the dead bird and skin on top of the deep freezer in basement.

So if it's cold out you skin them? We mostly only like turkey breast so I am tempted to skin them and just fillet out the breast to save on the hassle of plucking. Our dogs tend to get most of the old rooster legs when we butcher them. Im sure they would love turkey legs too.

 

[KF0002]

What is your alls method of killing them? Turkeys are much bigger than our chickens so I'm trying to figure out the easiest way. Hatchet to cut the head off or hang and cut the jugulars?

 

[jerryse]

He needs to invest in a wench to put on his sleigh.

I think a winch would be more help than the wench.

 

[Huntmaster]

What is your alls method of killing them? Turkeys are much bigger than our chickens so I'm trying to figure out the easiest way. Hatchet to cut the head off or hang and cut the jugulars?

I use kill cones and cut both jugulars with one quick swipe of a very sharp knife. Turkeys are very strong and can get hard to handle without using the cone, but I tend to do a lot of birds. I have even used a feed bag hung with corner cut out works if you are only doing a bird or two.

 

[Molpet]

What is your alls method of killing them? Turkeys are much bigger than our chickens so I'm trying to figure out the easiest way. Hatchet to cut the head off or hang and cut the jugulars?

I use sharp sharp loppers. Sometimes I put them in the cone. But carrying the bird across the yard yelling that he is being attacked gets everyone in an uproar.
Before I had a cone I would wrap the ankles with electrical tape, put bird on his chest, hold their feet gently with my foot, reach over with lopper and off with the head. They flop around so I have to do away from the electric net fence. Lots less drama than the trip to the cone. My birds have never been handled so they freak when I carry them. So I have gone back to this way

 

[Molpet]

So if it's cold out you skin them? We mostly only like turkey breast so I am tempted to skin them and just fillet out the breast to save on the hassle of plucking. Our dogs tend to get most of the old rooster legs when we butcher them. Im sure they would love turkey legs too.

Yeah I skin but I prefer to roast with skin on and a good fat cap to keep moist... Thighs and legs are My preferred. Breasts are good for turkey salad though.

 

[KF0002]

I use sharp sharp loppers. Sometimes I put them in the cone. But carrying the bird across the yard yelling that he is being attacked gets everyone in an uproar.
Before I had a cone I would wrap the ankles with electrical tape, put bird on his chest, hold their feet gently with my foot, reach over with lopper and off with the head. They flop around so I have to do away from the electric net fence. Lots less drama than the trip to the cone. My birds have never been handled so they freak when I carry them. So I have gone back to this way

Loppers as in the ones you trim branches with? I will have to buy a bigger cone.

I like the cone because it helps cut down on the bird flopping and slinging blood everywhere.

 

[KF0002]

I use kill cones and cut both jugulars with one quick swipe of a very sharp knife. Turkeys are very strong and can get hard to handle without using the cone, but I tend to do a lot of birds. I have even used a feed bag hung with corner cut out works if you are only doing a bird or two.

We have a cone big enough to fit a large broiler in so it would fit a younger turkey but not an older one. We use the cone and cutting the jugulars method for our chickens so that may be how we do our turkeys also.

 

[KF0002]

I think a winch would be more help than the wench.

Pardon my sleep deprived night shift mind for my unfortunate spelling error. Lol

The unintentional context of my statement with the spelling error was quite risqué. My apologies.

 

[Molpet]

Loppers as in the ones you trim branches with? I will have to buy a bigger cone.

I like the cone because it helps cut down on the bird flopping and slinging blood everywhere.