First Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon- Join us! Set Day: Easter

[HappyAcresKY]

A family wants to buy a couple young hens to add their group. I look and look and boy I have a hard time telling which are girls and boys. Not 100% sure. I think I will band them blue and pink and see if I am right.

I have mostly BR, and those that I have spent more time with as poults are the friendliest. DH was pushing me this morning to put the three muskateers in the freezer. I really wish he would mention the cckls that need to go. But I know he is really after taking them to the butcher rather than doing them ourselves. He will eat them but he won't do the first step. Guess it will be up to me. Which means I"ll skip the three muskateers!

What do you use for bands, I too am trying to tell them apart and would like to see if I am guessing correctly.

We are selling Thanksgiving turkeys this year and using the mobile processing unit through Kentucky State so I will have to do the first step, not looking forward to it, they are all super friendly. This is our first time selling and we've only eaten one ourselves, does anyone have any cooking tips, I've read so many different suggestions. Some say cook at high temps for shorter times and others say low and slow. We'd like to give cooking tips to our customers since most of them are newbies too, I don't want them to be disappointed in the outcome after paying so much more for a heritage breed.

 

[dsqard]

HappyAcres we ate two of our BR's last year and we just cooked them the way we normally cook turkey. The only difference from the other ways people cook turkey is that we cook ours breast down so all the juices go into the breast meat as it is cooking. BTW, regular way is in a roasting bag to the correct temp for turkey. We follow the directions for the bag for oven temp. I think it took a little longer to get them to temp than the bag directions said though if I remember correctly. They came out wonderfully.

 

[mrheinz77]

Slightly off topic here, but have any of you ever grilled a turkey over charcoal? My mom did when I was growing up. You put a pan in the bottom of a weber grill to catch the drippings. I think you put 15 pieces of charcoal on either side of the pan and let it heat up before putting the turkey on the grill. Then every half hour or hour you add 5 (I think) pieces of charcoal to each side of the pan.
This was the best turkey I ever had.

I just found this. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/_mobile/recipefinder/charcoal-grilled-turkey-809

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Glad the bird made a full recovery. Nice job, nurse! And gorgeous calico turkey!

As far as cooking goes, get a piece of fatback and put it fat side down on the top of the cooking turkey. It will release oil and juice down the turkey and keep it divinely moist.

 

[Arielle]

Quote: THe quickest is zip ties. Commonly available from Walmart to hardware stores. Many sizes. I have many sizes and start with a small ziptie leaving space for some growth and cut the extra length off with pliers. You may need to change several times. Do keep an eye on them . THey can get tight as the bird grows.

As far as cooking goes, get a piece of fatback and put it fat side down on the top of the cooking turkey. It will release oil and juice down the turkey and keep it divinely moist.

You all are making me very hungry!

 

[debs_flock]

I feel so sorry for Lurkey. Today we took her out of the pen of silkies that she grew up with, they were her tutors and hatched together (a showgirl no less). They've been together since last May (obviously). She got moved into the huge garden pen with the 14 younger turkeys I got from Porter's. She has been sitting on the highest perch in the pen, yelping and looking for her old pen mates since early this morning when we moved her.

She is lonely

even if she is with her own kind for the first time. The boys have been strutting for her, trying to convince her to be their wife. She may have an identity crisis, since her only companions have been the Silkies, Showgirls and some Araucanas. She thinks you have to be poufy or rumpless.

Deb

 

[superchemicalgirl]

Poor Lurkey!

I just sold the silkie rooster that was one of my turkey's tutors. He had a huge crush on one of my turkeys. She didn't seem to notice he was gone but I bet he cried all night.

 

[debs_flock]

I picked an overgrown cucumber from the garden this afternoon and took it into the turkey pen. I was breaking it into chunks and tossing them on the ground. Lurkey came over and stood next to me, like she didn't quite know what to do with herself. I picked her up and stood and pet her back and head/neck. She just sat there in my arms (she is huge, I need to weigh her, but she might think I'm sizing her up for the roasting pan). I sat her back down and she just stood next to me. Good thing Lurkey is a hen, I don't think I could eat her.

Deb

 

[Arielle]

I have 3 toms I can't eat.

 

[debs_flock]

I have 3 toms I can't eat.

Out of my 15 turkeys, at first glance at least 10 are toms..........

I'll have to actually count to make sure I get at least one pair each of my RP & Slates.

Deb