Illinois...

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

Had a processing party with @homeschoolin momma this weekend.
Thanksgiving got to spend a nice week with lots of free ranging and treats before he went to cooler camp. Meanwhile, the kids got to run around and play outside together before the weather gets too cold.
View attachment 2421526
Thank you @Molpet It's been a great learning experience - and not just for the kids.
View attachment 2421523
DS with his furry friend Ranger.
View attachment 2421514

"Micro" pretending to be a parrot. (He got 2 new pullet friends this weekend, so I'm sure he'll be a happy boy.)
View attachment 2421515

Spoiler: Warning: Meat pics

When done = about 10.6 pounds.
Processing is always bittersweet and never easy. However, it does give a sense of pride to know that I hatched, took care of, and provided food for for my family.
View attachment 2421528

We also processed some of @homeschoolin momma 's extra cockerels that needed to go.
Of course all the meat will look more appetizing when cooked. We're certainly not experts at any of this! It just helps to have a friend along so you can have less tears and perhaps a couple laughs.
View attachment 2421551

Speaking of laughs.... Poor @homeschoolin momma got some revenge from her feisty cockerel. He decided to poop on her shirt, then shoe, then all down her pant leg. I laughed. Of course it got me too. I looked like something from a bloody horror movie. By the end of the day, we both needed showers.

Perhaps next year (after this Covid situation passes) other Illinois BYC friends can join us. @BReeder! would you be up for it?

Congratulations.
My CX was first time processing anything besides fish. It was tough. I absolutely had to separate them and always think of them as not my pets. I wont do it again without a drum plucker. Still have 12 or 15 in the freezer.
I'll never forget after taking about 10 out of the tractor they started getting suspicious.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

My dad's neighbor has a few chickens and ducks. They have 2 roosters. I didn't see the other but this one is awesome!
They didn't know what type it is.

 

[NotAFarm]

He is gorgeous.

 

[jerryse]

My dad's neighbor has a few chickens and ducks. They have 2 roosters. I didn't see the other but this one is awesome!
They didn't know what type it is.
View attachment 2421698

Looks like a game either old English game or pit game . Such a awesome rooster .

 

[BReeder!]

Very cool! Are these eggs from the 2020 spring turkeys? Or do you have females left from last year's hatch?

I wonder how my pair is doing.... My neighbor noticed that we're down 2 turkeys.

Again she told me how much she enjoyed watching them and how they're great at fighting off hawks. (I know she's hinting to see if I'd reconsider my Thanksgiving plans.)

They were from last year's hatch.

Notice I said "were"... Thanksgiving plans went into effect.

 

[BReeder!]

Had a processing party with @homeschoolin momma this weekend.
Thanksgiving got to spend a nice week with lots of free ranging and treats before he went to cooler camp. Meanwhile, the kids got to run around and play outside together before the weather gets too cold.
View attachment 2421526
Thank you @Molpet It's been a great learning experience - and not just for the kids.
View attachment 2421523
DS with his furry friend Ranger.
View attachment 2421514

"Micro" pretending to be a parrot. (He got 2 new pullet friends this weekend, so I'm sure he'll be a happy boy.)
View attachment 2421515

Spoiler: Warning: Meat pics

When done = about 10.6 pounds.
Processing is always bittersweet and never easy. However, it does give a sense of pride to know that I hatched, took care of, and provided food for for my family.
View attachment 2421528

We also processed some of @homeschoolin momma 's extra cockerels that needed to go.
Of course all the meat will look more appetizing when cooked. We're certainly not experts at any of this! It just helps to have a friend along so you can have less tears and perhaps a couple laughs.
View attachment 2421551

Speaking of laughs.... Poor @homeschoolin momma got some revenge from her feisty cockerel. He decided to poop on her shirt, then shoe, then all down her pant leg. I laughed. Of course it got me too. I looked like something from a bloody horror movie. By the end of the day, we both needed showers.

Perhaps next year (after this Covid situation passes) other Illinois BYC friends can join us. @BReeder! would you be up for it?

What was the weight of the turkeys after processing?

 

[BReeder!]

I processed the two turkey hens and one drake yesterday. The drake was from earlier this year. @Faraday40 it's one of the ducks you hatched out for me. He weighed about 3.5lb. I wasn't expecting a huge hunk of meat. After all he was a Rouens, not a Pekin. The turkey hens were smaller than I thought they would be. When I hung them for plucking, they looked huge. They weighed in at 5.8lb though. I only weighed one actually, but the other was very similar in size). The turkeys were also fattier than expected. I'm not going to complain about fat - it means more juicy meat. But their gizzards were surrounded with fat and there was two large pieces of fat that came out of each of them as I pulled everything through the bottom end. I didn't take pics because I was doing most of the work myself and my ends were covered in feathers, blood, or guts. Overall the meat looks great. I'm pretty sure the low weight of the turkey hens was due to my use of all flock and/or layer feed much of the time. They did get high protein (~27-30%) as poults though.

 

[WhyDoILikeChickens]

@BReeder! I wonder if the feed I get from mill will work for ducks? Its non soy so uses pea meal for protein. It's a pretty fine grind though not sure why. My CX layers sneeze constantly when they eat it so been trying to focus on fermenting.

 

[Faraday40]

They weighed in at 5.8lb though. I only weighed one actually, but the other was very similar in size). The turkeys were also fattier than expected. I'm not going to complain about fat - it means more juicy meat. But their gizzards were surrounded with fat and there was two large pieces of fat that came out

Neither of my turkeys had a lot of fat..... unlike some orps I've processed.

I think my turkey hen was almost 7 lbs. last year. She was adult-sized, so I doubt she would have gained any more weight. I was hoping she'd weigh more, but she was only about the size of a mature rooster.

My tom was 10.6 lbs (not including the neck & tail which I had already cut off.) He hatched May 1st, so just a little older than yours. The turkeys were free-ranged and also fed 2xs per day. (I couldn't just keep the auto feeder out because they always emptied it on me.) I can't say I worried much about what they ate. They pretty much ate whatever I put out. I started them with a quality game bird starter and turkey starter. After that they just ate meat bird, chick feed, sometimes all flock, and even layer. I think Thanksgiving could have grown larger, but it was time. He was the bigger, more dominant male (king of flock), but non aggressive toward people.

 

[BReeder!]

Neither of my turkeys had a lot of fat..... unlike some orps I've processed.

I think my turkey hen was almost 7 lbs. last year. She was adult-sized, so I doubt she would have gained any more weight. I was hoping she'd be weigh more, but she was only about the size of a mature rooster.

My tom was 10.6 lbs (not including the neck & tail which I had already cut off.) He hatched May 1st, so just a little older than yours. The turkeys were free-ranged and also fed 2xs per day. (I couldn't just keep the auto feeder out because they always emptied it on me.) I can't say I worried much about what they ate. They pretty much ate whatever I put out. I started them with a quality game bird starter and turkey starter. After that they just ate meat bird, chick feed, sometimes all flock, and even layer. I think Thanksgiving could have grown larger, but it was time. He was the bigger, more dominant male (king of flock), but non aggressive toward people.

My 5.8lb weight was also without keck, tail and feet. That may be worth mentioning. They are lovely looking though. We enjoy turkey here. I cannot wait to taste the homegrown turkey meat.