Guy wants $21/each to process my meat turkeys. Is this reasonable?

[Celie]

Maybe you can check with your local feed store for someone that buys a lot of turkey feed. He/She might be willing to do yours, too, and since they probably have a lot of experience, would be fast and efficient and more reasonable?

 

[ButchGood]

Maybe you can check with your local feed store for someone that buys a lot of turkey feed. He/She might be willing to do yours, too, and since they probably have a lot of experience, would be fast and efficient and more reasonable?

Or get him to teach you how its done, so you can get the experience, so you can be fast and efficient, and get it done for free.

 

[Cindlady]

You could always put a "Wanted" add on Craigslist for someone experienced.

 

[mamawolf544]

We pay $3.00 per turkey at out processing plant in Texas. I think that is really high.

 

[Narragansett]

Over 50 pounds, the birds might have to be hand plucked (not fit into the plucker). That's going to cost a lot more.

I always figure that when the price is high, they don't really want to do them. If you insist, they will process them, but you are going to have to pay for the service.

Exactly. Processing is a lot of work, and even the basic equipment is expensive. Some people can't take a hint. Besides, few people want a turkey that is over 30 pounds. They take too long to cook, and when they get really big, they won't fit into some standard size ovens. From a producers point of view, you waste quite a bit of money on feed when the birds start getting that big, as their feed to meat conversion efficiency drops off quite a bit. It is cheaper per pound to raise two 25 pound turkeys instead of one 50 pounder. The prices quoted are about the same in my area, except for the higher end. At those weights we have a hard time finding someone who will process them at any price. Either way, the processors are trying to teach the producers in their area how to be efficient, but it's not always easy educating people.

 

[Oregon Blues]

Another thought:

I don't allow strange poultry onto my property, but if I did, I would not agree to process 1-2 turkeys without a huge fee. It takes me about 2 hours to set up to butcher and another 1/2 hour to take it all apart and put it back away. The actual butchering of 2 turkeys wouldn't be difficult, but unless I had a lot of other birds to do at the same time, it would take me too long to do them.

I assume that the butcher doesn't want to do them, but maybe he would have to set up specialize equipment, which takes time.

But as I said originally. I would not pay that price to have a turkey butchered.

 

[Celie]

We pay $3.00 per turkey at out processing plant in Texas. I think that is really high.

If anyone knows a processing plant in southeastern Louisiana that only charges $3.00, I have 6 ready for processing and would love the name and number?

I hate plucking.

 

[cupman]

Well I have done some research and I can only find about 6 processing plants in my state. I see Foster Farms on the list but I don't know if they will take my turkeys.. I only searched for poultry processing. There really isn't much of a selection... this guy's plant is about 15 minutes away and all the other ones are well over an hour. I can understand it being a pain to only do two turkeys but the way the guy has it set up is he slaughters twice a week and you have to bring your bird on the dates he assigns you.

I have watched about a dozen videos on YouTube on how to do it. It looks kind of brutal... watching their throats get slit and then seeing the big muscular turkeys jerk around. I plan on doing my own turkeys from here on in so I will probably just cowboy up and do the processing myself. I'm sure it only gets easier with time. My two turkeys are my buds, they don't fear me a bit... I just know I'm going to feel guilty when I lead them to their demise.

 

[Oregon Blues]

It's better for them when they trust you. No fear, no stress. Happy turkey and one second later, it is done and the bird never knows that anything will happen to it. That's easier for the bird than being chased and caged and being frightened by being handled by a stranger.

Don't feel guilty. Know that the bird had a very easy end and was well treated while it was being raised.

 

[cupman]

Hey thanks, Oregon, that helped put it into perspective. I feel a little bit better about it now. I'll give my birds another week or two, spoil them with treats and then do them in. Almost feels like Of Mice and Men.