So if you saw my other post my bird was around 28 lbs with feather. The CC's I dispatched weren't bad, grab with two hands, turn over they calm down, and a nice hatchet job later they are hanging. What is the best way to dispatch a 28 pound turkey that is VERY strong. I picked it up out of the coop and he beat me with his wings. IMHO there would be no way for one person to totally restrain a bird of this size while the other does the hatchet job....(thus I tried something else)
To dispatch my cc's I use a large towel and wrap them up tightly before cutting their throats. That way nothing gets brused or broken. I bet you can use a large shower towel on your turkey and it will work just the same. Or... put a big sweater on him and tie the sleves around him and keep his legs sticking out back. That would work too.
When we did our BB's we restrained the first which resulted in a broken wing while it was in its final moments. the others we didnt and they went alot smoother. for them I laid a log on its side, placed a noose around their neck and under the log so someone behind the bird could gently keep the neck slightly stretched without exciting the bird to much. this made it alot easier to remove the head in one clean swipe of the ax against the log. good luck
