Processing Turkeys

[bigredfeather]

I have 7 turkeys to process in a few weeks. They are Bourbon Reds and Blue Slates that will be 7 months old at processing time. My question is how long do you scald a turkey such as this when processing? I have butchered many chickens, so I'm not new to butchering.

 

[kfacres]

i, and recommend, skin everything... much easier and faster... wrap it in alum foil, and don't worry about drying out.

 

[bigredfeather]

We prefer the skin on ours. Besides that, I built a $500 plucker so I might as well use it.

 

[rfwombat]

Dip and swish for a count of 20 at about 145 degrees then try to pull out a couple of wing primaries. If they come right out you're done. If you have to tug to get them out then dip and swish again until they come out easily. Pretty much the same as with chickens.

 

[boxermom]

We also process BR. We have found they are easier to pluck than chickens. We always save them for last when our hands are tired.

We scald them at 145* until the wing feathers pull out easily. Sometimes it takes awhile. We don't have a pot big enough to dip the bird, so we place them in a plastic tub and pour the water over them. Works very well.