How do you CATCH your heritage turkeys?

[RAREROO]

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NICE !!!! I have a factory make live trap that I just got from my cousin and the animal would have to dance on the trip plate to get it to trip and that gives me an idea on how to fix it.

 

[10ducks]

I had 18 turkeys, some of them BBW and some heritage breeds. Took them to the processor last Friday. I have been keeping them in a turkey tractor at night, so they were already confined in a small space. I went out very early in the morning when it was still dark. I used a bright halogen headlamp, and as someone else said, it seemed to mesmerize them. I was able to use the arm over the wings holding them tightly against my body method. I would have had some scratches, but I wore heavy work gloves and a canvas coat. Most of them didn't struggle. It helped that I only had to move them a few feet from the tractor to my trailer. It also helped that they were relatively small turkeys, in the 15-20 pound range. Nonetheless, one heritage bronze hen zipped by me and out the door. So now's its 17 turkeys in freezer camp, and one roosting in the chicken coop at night!

 

[Livinzoo]

I put together a 6 x 6 dog kennel. Walked in with the bucket I usually use for food. The turkeys followed me and my husband closed the door. That is all we did.

 

[ChickenPotPie]

For those here wanting to get into the "my turkeys hop into our laps" camp..... Step One: have your 5 yr old read books to them in your library. Yes, he really really did that.

He really loves those turkey poults.

On a more serious note...I just asked my husband how they caught the turkeys yesterday. He said he and my little boys just cornered them and he picked them up, or "hugged them", and put them in crates.

We'd never try this with their daddy, our old tom, though. He's fearsome, very heavy, and very strong. That's more of a battle - lunge, dodge, leap, miss,

.

 

[geepy]

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We call that entertaining the neighbors. LOL

 

[lonesomerider]

I'm a 74 yo widow who has to handle/process turkeys by herself, and what a relief to find that I'm not the only one that got beat up by my heritage breed turkeys. No more. This is what I did:

http://www.apppa.org/Archive.htm Scroll down to the article for building your own killing cones and chicken transport boxes. There are pictures and complete instructions. I built the crate, but made it 24 inches tall, with a gate at one end and added another gate on a side so I didn't have to crawl in the thing to get a turkey at the other end. None on the top, since turkeys tend to go up in the air when spooked, and both gates are hinged at the top to swing upward when opened. It easily holds 6 adult heritage breed turkeys. Used some old lawn mower wheels to build a cart to go under it so I could pull the thing to where the feathers come off, instead of straining everything trying to carry it. (I do intend to build a chicken carrier too; just haven't gotten to it yet.)

My turkeys have been trained from the start to move away from me when I'm carrying a particular broom....the one with the bright yellow handle. You take your time, and you can herd them into a barrel ... (well, maybe not, but close). They're like range cattle....take your time, or deal with a stampede. Difference being that these critters can and do fly.

Late afternoon before the day they're being processed, a few more than I want are herded into the chicken coop. There's a covered, medium sized cattle panel/chicken wire covered pen built along one wall. They spend the night in there. Next morning, everything else is herded out of the coop. The main door is 4 feet wide x 8 feet tall. I have another half cattle panel, covered with chicken wire and a tarp, that fastens over that door; there is an opening at the bottom that is the exact size and shape of the cart and carrier, which is pulled into that opening and its end door swung upward. The only "opening" they can see access to is the door into the cart....the tarp shuts off the outside light above it....and they will almost always just walk into the opening because there is light coming through the sides and back of the cart and a partial view of the yard outside. Again, patience is needed....don't get turkeys riled 'cause it takes a while for them to get over it.

When loaded, close the cart door, fasten it, push it out of the cattle panel barricade, move the barricade and take them to the processing area. There, by raising the side door about a foot, I can reach in and grasp the legs of one of the birds and pull it out. By keeping its back against my legs, any flailing of wings is avoided, and the bird soon settles down.

The backyard chain link yard fence serves to hang the turkeys, one at a time, hung with their chests against the wire. I use a choke chain dog collar on the legs, and the top of the chain link wire was installed so it's about 2 inches above the horizontal support pipe. Two or 3 of those end wires serve nicely to hold the loop of the choke chain. Pithing and cutting the neck arteries happens quickly....the bird seldom moves since it is brain dead. Drop my knife on the ground, grab the end joints of both wings, bring them together behind the turkey (it is still facing the wire), and hold them securely with both hands (I have arthritis in both hands.) until the bird stops bleeding .... they will flail some just before dying, if you don't hold them.

From there, it's just dunk, pluck, and remove the innards, put in the cooling tank and go get another. I can easily take care of six by myself in one morning...not having to arm wrestle the buggers helps a lot.

Hope this helps. Can take some pictures if needed.

 

[hossfeathers]

*doffs hat*

Ma'am, you have my undying respect. I'm half your age and I don't know if I could catch and process half a dozen turkeys in one morning.

 

[chickenannie]

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I am sooo impressed!

This is exactly the kind of system I am interested in. I truly appreciate your spelling it out in such detail. Even if I don't do this exact method, I can use your general idea of giving them one option of where to go (into a lighted crate). I like the way you work WITH the birds too. Shows you have an understanding of their temperament. I try to create very little stress on them and I think this would work very well. I have had helpers come here and charged into the flock grabbing and yanking limbs and wings here and there, panicking all the birds. I have to "train" my helpers to be low-key and calm so as to keep the birds calm. Thank you. I also can't believe you do this work at your age. I am in admiration as well.

 

[lonesomerider]

hossfeathers said

*doffs hat*

Ma'am, you have my undying respect. I'm half your age and I don't know if I could catch and process half a dozen turkeys in one morning.
​

Thank you; mostly people....my own kids included.....think I've maybe been in the sun too long to be still doing stuff like this. Seems though that if you don't "use it, you lose it", so have just kept on chugging along and other than some arthritis in my hands, have stayed healthy.

Chickenannie said

Thank you.
​

You're welcome.....hope you can use it.

Most animals are very much alike, be it cattle, horses, dogs, or .... turkeys. Give them only the right choice to make and be patient so they think it was their idea instead of yours, and most of the time, it goes pretty smoothly. But, just to keep our hat size from getting too big, there's always one renegade who isn't reading our book and is prone to panic attacks. When that happens, I just try to get him back in the coop pen, shut the coop door so he's in the dark, take care of the rest of the birds and start over with him. By that time he's wondering where the heck everybody went, has calmed down in the darkness, and just walks into the carrier.

Overly stressed birds can have an off taste, and with the amount of work, time, and feed it takes to get these buggers to the freezer/dinner table, I really want them to taste GOOD. Besides which, I have way more time than anything else, so I just do what I can do and let the rest go until tomorrow.

Using this system, it is possible to do 12 in a day, but am mostly limited to 6 by how much ice I can make ahead in my freezer (using 1/2 gallon juice bottles) to cool the finished birds down. Next day is for freezing more ice and packaging of the six and then start over the third day.

Darned good eating when you're finished. They are good when canned in jars too, if you run out of freezer space.

Have fun!!​

 

[chickenannie]

We need more folks like you around ... a big thank you again!