**~~>>Second Annual Cinco de Mayo Turkey Hatchathon<<~~**all poultry welcome!

[Wax Myrtle]

I am roasting a narrigansett hen for tonights Sunday dinner. I would like to know why I often have the fat (drippinngs) starting to burn before the bird is done. If anyone has suggestions to prevent this, PLEASE let me know. It is not a problem with commercial birds, only my home grown.

Unless you really, really want to make gravy, line the bottom of your roaster with potatoes and maybe a few carrots. The taters will absorb the drippings before they can burn. If you really want gravy, I would add a little water to the bottom of your roaster, but then of course, you'll need to run your bird under the broiler to crisp the skin. HTH!

 

[Sally Sunshine]

Quote: COOL!

Next weekend the chicken eggs in my bator will hatch. Hatching for a friend, who also bought me some speckled sussex to "pay" for my hatching.

Got 7 turkey eggs set today... like a minute ago. Is it too soon to candle?




I can also neither confirm nor deny setting duck eggs under my banty hen today. She is such a good momma.

cute!!

Quote: Thank u!

I'll go take a picture of the expanded metal grate.... Be back in a bit. (And I don't mind anybody finding something useful on my "Retired" thread!)

Okay, here it is, the part that sticks out of the water, anyway. The ramp goes all the way down to the bottom of the tank, at an angle, just to provide a way for animals (including ducklings, silly hens who fall in, squirrels, etc) to climb out, no matter how low the water gets. Of course, I don't let it get much below the top anyway. Gotta top it off today. Pretty icky water right now - I can't find a tool to open the drain on the side of the tank, and siphoning takes forever.

I see now!! I threw a solid cinder block at one end angled and they don't use it anyway LOL they did like everyone said..... learn to fly jump out!

My straight jacket is denim plaid with satin and lace and a sharpened nails on The inside to add to the pain.
(never a straight jacket when you've been drinking)

OUCH!

Okay. I've got 5 more dozen to sort and then I'll set. I think I have 14 or 15 dozen to set, and I'm going to have to dig out every incubator and broody to get this going right...and practice tetris...and maybe get an electric skillet out...


Oy!!

Oy is right!

Well, I don't have my BR eggs yet. I want turkeys so bad. I was planning on setting 10. So even if I don't get them I'm setting 12 BCM, 4 OE/EE?, 4 RIR , 4 PR, 4 NHR, and 2 mystery eggs. I even thought about getting 12 Roen Duck eggs.

Actually this morning I was looking at an old chest deep freeze I have that no longer works and went "Hmmm? That should hold about 60 dozen. 720 eggs at once, oh yeah!" By the way, do the straight jackets come with monogramming?

60 DOZEN! SAY WA????????????????????

 

[Jessshan8]

I am roasting a narrigansett hen for tonights Sunday dinner. I would like to know why I often have the fat (drippinngs) starting to burn before the bird is done. If anyone has suggestions to prevent this, PLEASE let me know. It is not a problem with commercial birds, only my home grown.

I have been told a cup of ginger ale in the bottom does wonders never tried it myself though.

 

[Jessshan8]

set 8 BR's today.

 

[mstricer]

I'm in, Mike was so kind and hooked me up with some lovely turkey eggs. I got to meet his wife, Debbi, very nice folks, They let me hold their new goat, so cute

Thanks again Mike

 

[mlm Mike]

I'm in, Mike was so kind and hooked me up with some lovely turkey eggs. I got to meet his wife, Debbi, very nice folks, They let me hold their new goat, so cute

Thanks again Mike

You're welcome. I just hope they hatch.

 

[Sally Sunshine]

I'm in, Mike was so kind and hooked me up with some lovely turkey eggs. I got to meet his wife, Debbi, very nice folks, They let me hold their new goat, so cute

Thanks again Mike

 

[Sally Sunshine]

set 8 BR's today.

 

[wildriverswolf90]

well my neighbor acroos the road gave 8 royal palm eggs and 10 burbon red eggs, so looks like i'll be joing the hatch-a-thon with turkeys instead of chickens e :yiipchick

ETA: this is my first time ever setting/hatching turkeys..... do I hatch them just like chicken eggs???

 

[ChooksChick]

I am roasting a narrigansett hen for tonights Sunday dinner. I would like to know why I often have the fat (drippinngs) starting to burn before the bird is done. If anyone has suggestions to prevent this, PLEASE let me know. It is not a problem with commercial birds, only my home grown.

Part of the reason for this is that commercial birds are soooo fat, so there's a larger volume of stuff. Part of the reason is that they brine them prior to the packaging. This is a solution of salt-water that (if done correctly) causes the protein fibers of the meat to absorb water and this increases the tenderness (and sales weight) of the bird.

I always brine my home-raised poultry for tenderness because it makes a huge difference, but also because you can add spices to the brine for flavor. It doesn't require a lot of salt, and if you use sea salt, it also doesn't increase sodium measurably. I usually put a 1/4 c salt (per gallon of water I'll need), 2 T molasses, plus bay leaves, garlic, onions, savory, sage, parsley, rosemary, thyme, etc. in 2 cups of water, heat and stir until salt is disolved. This goes into the pot with the bird in cool water. YOU MUST LEAVE IT FOR AT LEAST 7 HOURS FOR THE PROPER EXCHANGE TO OCCUR FOR TENDERNESS & FLAVOR.

Most folks don't leave it long enough, and the first part of the osmosis process in this is to LOSE moisture in the fibers before absorbing it...so you can really wreck meat by brining for a short period.

I sometimes add beer, or white wine, or lemon or orange juice, etc.

Also, if you use a couple of tablespoons of oil in the bottom of the roaster, you'll be able to keep it from burning. Spread it around like you're oiling the pan for a cake. It changes the way the drippings evaporate.

(I'm a kitchen geek...used to be a sous chef)