Professional Processing of Turkeys- Thanksgiving Day Update

[miron28]

$7.00 what a deal!! i always say work smarter not harder!

 

[Poler]

Thats an amazing deal!

I do professional butchering as well, and I charge $.75 cents a pound to process a turkey.

For Seven bucks, I'd take all of mine to him!

 

[willheveland]

I think paying a processor is often worth it.I do batches of chickens.What would take me half the day a processor could do in an hour or so.The right equipment and facility makes a big difference.They can throw 3 chickens in a drum plucker for 45 seconds and they are done.I like the idea that they have an ice water tank to let them cool for awhile.Another nice perk is that they can half them for you saving much needed freezer space for like $.25 a bird.The best part of course is no mess to clean up.For what they charge(if within reason)An average guy couldn't keep the water hot for much less.You don't see many people doing poultry much anymore.I wish there were more processors around.Most only want to do beef,pork and venison in my area.

I can see a person wanting to do their own if they were eating a chicken here and there or if they weren't using a broiler type chicken,when a bunch would be ready all at the same time. Will

 

[Buster]

UPDATE-

I picked up the turkeys from the processor yesterday. They were 21 and 22 pounds. We went home and vacuum sealed them for the freezer. I'll let you know how one tastes in a week.

 

[SandraMort]

I like the fact that I know how to do it and can, but at an hour a bird, the thought of doing the 46 rangers and 3 cornish cross in my barn was rather grim. I'll be paying $2 each for them and consider that worth the time saved. I also don't think I'm up to processing a large bird (muscovies are what I have in mind, but if I do turkeys next year, they'd count, too) and I don't think it's worth paying $2 for a quail, so when I raise those next year I'll do them myself.

But I still have 2 dozen other chickens now and you never know what I'll end up buying to process... having that knowledge is a good thing. And the more I practice, the faster I'll be. For me, the slowest part was the eviscerating, not the plucking, which I kind of enjoyed anyway.

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[sara]

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I guess I'll be taking a drive once my birdies neat butchering

 

[Gardeninggranny]

I had to comment when I saw this. We have a wonderful chicken processing place a few miles away. I just had a huge hen turkey processed for $4.00. She charges $2.00 per chicken. The place is clean, neat and efficient. Cement floors, white walls, stainless steel, hot water etc. You leave your birds in carriers in back of the processing building in a separate building the evening before your appt. She processes early in the morning and your birds are ready by 10 am the next day. She has each customers birds in their own chilling barrrel, you bring bags and she puts them in. The liver, kidneys and heart are in a separate baggie.

We stopped butchering our own years ago - this is just so much better. I hate butchering anyway. On the day we did our turkey she was doing about 12 turkeys and 250 chickens. She says she works about three days a week. This woman makes a good living at this and if no one does it in your area you might want to invest in some improvements and do it.

 

[SandraMort]

What do you do with chicken kidneys?

The liver, kidneys and heart are in a separate baggie.​

 

[rubyv67]

Fry those babies up. Chewy.

 

[Marlinchaser]

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what about the GIZZARD??