Pricing full-grown turkeys?

[ninjapoodles]

Quote:
Hey, Steve, the last time we skinned one, it did not turn out well at all. Do you have any secrets? It was a wild turkey that my husband got during bow season, if that makes a difference. It took forever, and the skin didn't come off "clean" if that makes sense. There were little...I dunno, teeny feather nubs? Or something on a lot of the meat.

(BTW, are the midget whites laying yet?)

 

[ninjapoodles]

Also, if we skin them, will there be enough fat to make sausage from them, without the skin?

 

[sandspoultry]

Never skinned a wild turkey, they are toooooo good to let anything go to waste.

. The heritage ones we do skin just fine, there is more fat on them because they have free access to feed which has alot of corn in it. Unless we are making an Italian sausage we usually add some pork fat but not a whole lot, we don't like it to greasy.

The Midgets are just getting started laying.

Steve

 

[meriruka]

If you skin them, can you still make a traditional roast turkey or does it dry out too much?

 

[sandspoultry]

It would dry out, the skin holds most of the juices in. When we do a whole turkey we pluck them but for just day to day it saves freezer space and it's alot quicker. We have a pen of about 15+ toms that didn't make the grade and it would take way more freezer space than we have.

 

[toddy]

does any one know were i can get a tom turkey i live in the portland oregon so any where around there would be nice or if it can get shipped im ok with that and what price im i looking at

 

[Harp Turkey Ranch]

does any one know were i can get a tom turkey i live in the portland oregon

Call Gene @Lazy 54 Farm, I know about a month ago he had a few young Narr toms that he was trying get me to come down and get, for Easter sales. His number is (503) 981-7801, he is out of Hubbard real close to you !!

If you skin them, can you still make a traditional roast turkey or does it dry out too much?

Yes it would be horribly dry. We made the mistake one year of skinning one for X-mas, too lazy to get the equipment out, and it was BAD !!!! I wouldn't even skin them if i was going to cut 'em up. I would treat it as it was chicken, leave the skin on and cut in to pieces.

For putting them in the freezer, we skin ours and cut them up. takes up alot less space and is much much quicker than plucking

Before I did that I would look around your area call your extension office or conservation office and see if they know where you can rent a plucker, as we rent ours out, so I'm sure someone in your area does as well. We can pluck two hens or a tom in about 30 sec. with the exception of a tail,wing feather or two. Get the proper scald and through them in the tub plucker and clean as a whistle. The skin is way to valuable to the taste and cooking to get rid of.

It took forever, and the skin didn't come off "clean" if that makes sense. There were little...I dunno, teeny feather nubs? Or something on a lot of the meat.

That was probably pin feathers.The more molts they go through the worse they get. That is why when a person raises a turkey it is important to harvest before about 10-12 months old as they start to molt and the pin feathers can be a nightmare to remove.​

 

[sandspoultry]

"Yes it would be horribly dry. We made the mistake one year of skinning one for X-mas, too lazy to get the equipment out, and it was BAD !!!! I wouldn't even skin them if i was going to cut 'em up. I would treat it as it was chicken, leave the skin on and cut in to pieces."

We cooked a skinless boneless White Holland turkey breast on the charcoal grill Saturday afternoon, just a little salt, pepper, garlic, lemon brushed over as it cooked. Not dry at all, it depends if you know how to cook game type meat or not, If you overcook it they do turn out dry.

"Before I did that I would look around your area call your extension office or conservation office and see if they know where you can rent a plucker, as we rent ours out, so I'm sure someone in your area does as well. We can pluck two hens or a tom in about 30 sec. with the exception of a tail,wing feather or two. Get the proper scald and through them in the tub plucker and clean as a whistle. The skin is way to valuable to the taste and cooking to get rid of.

"

Rent a plucker? Maybe rent an extra freezer as well, we process a few at a time and a whole turkey takes alot of freezer space. We skinned 4 toms last weekend start to finish, including cutting, washing dishes/tools less than 2 hours. Time per bird to skin- I was doing about 12 minutes, Sharon takes just a little longer but her cuts look better

. After it ages and goes into the freezer 12 meals and a fraction of the freezer space as a whole bird (4 toms to the space of about a whole turkey and a half).

Steve in NC​

 

[Struttn1]

Nine month old turkeys still have their prime breeding period ahead so I would not take less than $25 for a tom or $60 for a breeding pair if I were selling. That is bottom price I would take. Breeding pairs especially this time of year are pricey.

 

[ninjapoodles]

Thanks, y'all. So you think if I put an ad in the paper or on Craigslist for $75/pair, that would not be out of line?