How do I end it for Sammy and Danny?

[ShirleyO]

I bought two turkeys in the spring, Sammy (white bb) and Danny (dark bb), they grew fast and are now very large. There is only one local meat place that does turkeys and they won't do it yet, they will only do it when they have enough birds lined up to do them all in one day. I really want to do it next week. I will have family in town from So.Cal and would like to have a big dinner, sort of an early Thanksgiving. Then I want to freeze the other one for real Thanksgiving (they are close so one won't do good without the other). I didn't really think they would both make it since everyone here I talked to said they are hard to keep alive, but these birds were easy and did great-over 22lbs each now. I wasn't prepared for doing them myself though and I don't know how. My friend has done chickens her whole life, but never a turkey, she will be helping me. Best methode for quick and human? There is no queezieness factor, but I want to be kind to my girls so they leave this place calm as possible. Looking for step by step. Now I hear them in my garden eating again, another reason to have them gone.... better go shoo them out..... Thank you so much for your help, Shirley in Washington.

 

[frank53061]

Do a search on Youtube I have seen a video in the past there.

 

[krazykat0373]

I too have been on the hunt for processing turkeys, and the following link looks to be the most humane and least stressful way I have seen.


http://www.freetimesw.com/blueoakranch/pasturedpoultry/turkeyprocessing.htm

 

[Lagerdogger]

Do them yourself and do them exactly like large chickens. We often do turkeys and chickens at the same time, and they go through the assembly line just fine. We haved a large scalder (about 30 gallons), and a whiz bang chicken plucker. The only problem we have is that the primaries and tail feathers jam up the plucker, and so need to be hand-pulled after scalding. The insides are just like a chicken only larger. You shouldn'y have any serious problems. If you don't have a large enough scalder, you can heat up water in the kitchen and pour it into a large cooler. WIth only two turkeys, this might be the easiest way to do it anyway. Also, with only two, hand plucking will not take that long. Just make sure you give them a good scald. 75 to 90 seconds in 145 F to 150 F water seems to work for us. You want to be careful not to cook your birds in the scald.

So step by step, here is what I do.

1. Catch the bird
2. I use a loop of bailing twine to shackle their legs and hang them upside down. They don't fit in chicken cones.
3. Slit their throat. Use a sharp knife, Push hard and fast. Don't try to be nice, you need to get a little deeper than a chicken. Cut right behind one corner of the jaw. Blood should flow freely from the initial cut. If you try to be nice, you may not get deep enough and may have to cut again. That is no fun.
4. Once dead, place in scald as directed earlier.
5. Pluck
6. Remove feet, cut neck at base, remove oil gland above tail, remove all the insides
7. Rinse thoroughly and scrape out any remaining kidney and lungs.
8. Soak in mild brine for a day or two.
9. Cook however you like.
10. Enjoy and be thankful that you can raise your own food.

 

[TurkeyOutlaw]

I've only observed one turkey processing, but it was a different method than hanging: Approach the turkey from behind, straddle it with your legs, and then squat down so you are over the turkey, forcing it to sit on the ground. (I think our turkey was small enough for my man to put his knees on the ground on either side of the turkey.)

At this point the turkey's neck was laid out on the ground on top of some some clean straw.

My man grabbed the head and cut a slice on each side of the neck at the jugular and let the turkey bleed out on the straw.

He stayed crouched over the turkey to keep it in place. The turkey barely seemed to know what happened.

You could probably hang the turkey after it has expired to make sure you get a thorough bleed out.

We tried to raise turkeys this year, but had to rehome them when someone turned us in to the city. (We knew it was illegal, and pushed the boundaries).

Honestly, I'm relieved to not have to kill my turkeys, but I really did like this method, as it seemed so low stress. They were heritage birds, so it was more difficult to catch them than to actually do the deed.

Good luck with your turkeys, everyone.

 

[cupman]

Well this thread is sort of past due now(thread started 8/19/12) but maybe Shirley is around to give us her results? I am in the exact same situation. I have a white and bronze broad-breasted turkey I want to process and I want to do it myself but I really am a bit intimidated about doing it. If you are around please share how you did it and any advice you have.

 

[Celie]

Do them yourself and do them exactly like large chickens. We often do turkeys and chickens at the same time, and they go through the assembly line just fine. We haved a large scalder (about 30 gallons), and a whiz bang chicken plucker. The only problem we have is that the primaries and tail feathers jam up the plucker, and so need to be hand-pulled after scalding. The insides are just like a chicken only larger. You shouldn'y have any serious problems. If you don't have a large enough scalder, you can heat up water in the kitchen and pour it into a large cooler. WIth only two turkeys, this might be the easiest way to do it anyway. Also, with only two, hand plucking will not take that long. Just make sure you give them a good scald. 75 to 90 seconds in 145 F to 150 F water seems to work for us. You want to be careful not to cook your birds in the scald.

So step by step, here is what I do.

1. Catch the bird
2. I use a loop of bailing twine to shackle their legs and hang them upside down. They don't fit in chicken cones.
3. Slit their throat. Use a sharp knife, Push hard and fast. Don't try to be nice, you need to get a little deeper than a chicken. Cut right behind one corner of the jaw. Blood should flow freely from the initial cut. If you try to be nice, you may not get deep enough and may have to cut again. That is no fun.
4. Once dead, place in scald as directed earlier.
5. Pluck
6. Remove feet, cut neck at base, remove oil gland above tail, remove all the insides
7. Rinse thoroughly and scrape out any remaining kidney and lungs.
8. Soak in mild brine for a day or two.
9. Cook however you like.
10. Enjoy and be thankful that you can raise your own food.

I do it exactly like this, except I use a garden hose on the drain spicket of my water heater to fill the ice chest, instead of heating water on the stove. Also We hang the turkeys upside down from the tractor or track-hoe, because we are getting too old to lift the big birds, on a rope. The chickens, I can lift myself and hang from a tree or fence post. Hubby doesn't like to do the throat cutting and to hesitate would probably mean not getting the artery the first time, I do all of the killing. I do not want to let any animal suffer, and it doesn't take but a second, if you have confidence and just do it right the first time. You will need a really sharp knife and once it is cut through, get out of the way before the wings start flopping. This will start fast and take a couple of minutes, after the bird is DEAD, because it is the way God designed their nervous system to bleed out properly so they will be good for food. If you are not sure you can do it yourself, check with your local feed store manager for the name of someone who buys a lot of feed. He/She will probably do a lot of butchering and might be willing to show you. Once you see it done the first time and maybe He/She will be there with you for your first one, you will have the confidence to do your own, from then on?

 

[Lagerdogger]

I do it exactly like this, except I use a garden hose on the drain spicket of my water heater to fill the ice chest, instead of heating water on the stove.

Brilliant!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: LOL I thought so too!!!

 

[kuntrygirl]

So, what if you're too chicken to slit their throat?