Processing Day Support Group ~ HELP us through the Emotions PLEASE!

[ronott1]

SOO... I know everybody's tolerance and patience will be different. Get a broad-breasted. seriously. I'll happily deal with dual purpose chickens for meat, but I'll never purposefully bring home any heritage turkeys ever again.

I wrote up a rant about my experience with heritage turkeys, and then deleted it. If you must try a heritage turkey, get two, don't get 15. It's a nightmare. I really don't know how people do it.

ETA: they are loud. Like I-can-hear-them-half-a-mile-away loud. The BBW was quiet.

Thank you for posting this!

It is helpful to know.

 

[Tomtommom]

SOO... I know everybody's tolerance and patience will be different. Get a broad-breasted. seriously. I'll happily deal with dual purpose chickens for meat, but I'll never purposefully bring home any heritage turkeys ever again.

I wrote up a rant about my experience with heritage turkeys, and then deleted it. If you must try a heritage turkey, get two, don't get 15. It's a nightmare. I really don't know how people do it.

ETA: they are loud. Like I-can-hear-them-half-a-mile-away loud. The BBW was quiet.

I had the city code enforcer called on me over a rooster. We have no particular ordinance that states we cannot have roosters, but we do have a noise ordinance. It made me mad, considering how loud the dogs in this neighborhood are... but let's face it, people are more accepting of dogs.

Not sure if I could get away with a BBW... my girls get pretty darn loud when laying, no complaints on them though. I think it's all about the timing of said noise.

 

[popsicle]

Basically the BBW was quiet, and you process them younger. The heritage beasts are noisy.

My neighbors have a Cocker Spaniel. I've never known a Cocker Spaniel that wasn't a noisy jerk. All the other dogs around here are some variety of cattle dog, so basically I'm surrounded by noisy obnoxious dogs. One neighbor did tell me the day after I processed a noisy rooster, "I love hearing the rooster!" Oops! I guess people like noisy critters around here.

 

[Tomtommom]

Basically the BBW was quiet, and you process them younger. The heritage beasts are noisy.

My neighbors have a Cocker Spaniel. I've never known a Cocker Spaniel that wasn't a noisy jerk. All the other dogs around here are some variety of cattle dog, so basically I'm surrounded by noisy obnoxious dogs. One neighbor did tell me the day after I processed a noisy rooster, "I love hearing the rooster!" Oops! I guess people like noisy critters around here.

That's too funny! I have several neighbors who love my chickens. The people who I suspect hate my chickens/dogs never say a thing to me, they just plant more and more bushes between our yards

The thing that gets me is when one dog barks, it sets off every darn dog in the neighborhood.. and there's A LOT of dogs.

I have my limit on what I can handle, the rooster in particular had already been eaten by the time the code enforcer notified me of the complaint.... I wasn't thrilled with his crowing myself. My current rooster is pretty good about crowing, he only does it if he feels the need to complain about the cold (which isn't often).

Maybe I will stumble upon a turkey poult at some point. Worst case scenario, we eat him young!

 

[Arielle]

Quote: My turkeys are fairly quiet. THe only time I have an issue is when I yell to my kids and the entire flock of turkey toms answer me back. Trying to just talk around them is problematic. I talk, they talk, husband answers, they answer, I answer, and around it goes. Guess we are just tolerant folks and really like these big birds. Mine free range-- wish means they hang around the house area.

I keep this group cooped way up in the woods-- they are silent, no noise, about 12 turkeys. When I let them out theywill run to the house, and the younger l ighter birds will take off and fly down.

We enjoy them.

PS my second group- juveniles hatched last summer are also quiet.

Quote: So glad I live where I have enough land that I meet the regs for having roosters. Yes, mine start early in the morning , and they call and answer each other from different pens around the farm. THe neighbors don't get to complain.

RE turkeys-- they don't crow in the morning.

 

[popsicle]

My turkeys are fairly quiet. THe only time I have an issue is when I yell to my kids and the entire flock of turkey toms answer me back. Trying to just talk around them is problematic. I talk, they talk, husband answers, they answer, I answer, and around it goes. Guess we are just tolerant folks and really like these big birds. Mine free range-- wish means they hang around the house area.

I keep this group cooped way up in the woods-- they are silent, no noise, about 12 turkeys. When I let them out theywill run to the house, and the younger l ighter birds will take off and fly down.

We enjoy them.

PS my second group- juveniles hatched last summer are also quiet.


So glad I live where I have enough land that I meet the regs for having roosters. Yes, mine start early in the morning , and they call and answer each other from different pens around the farm. THe neighbors don't get to complain.

RE turkeys-- they don't crow in the morning.

I figure some people must have good luck with them, otherwise most of these breeds would be long gone.

I will say, processing day is much easier when the critters drive me bananas.

 

[Tomtommom]

I figure some people must have good luck with them, otherwise most of these breeds would be long gone.

I will say, processing day is much easier when the critters drive me bananas.

Amen!

 

[Arielle]

LOL. Very true. Very true. I have a couple favorites that will stay.

Who uses gloves for plucking by hand???? My hands are taking a beating betweent he winter cold, hot water and stripping feathers. THe playtex gloves lasted about 5 minutes.

 

[popsicle]

LOL. Very true. Very true. I have a couple favorites that will stay.

Who uses gloves for plucking by hand???? My hands are taking a beating betweent he winter cold, hot water and stripping feathers. THe playtex gloves lasted about 5 minutes.

I really should use gloves. Maybe ice fishing gloves--since ice fishing involves cold and water?

 

[Arielle]

Quote: Used for cleaning fish?? OR when sitting in a cold and miserable shack on the ice to try to keep warm? LOL