Thanksgiving Turkey 2013

[gmendoza]

Quote: hee hee hee

Do you have a pic of BoBo? I would love to see her.

I don't, but can get one this weekend before her dance with the axe.

sounds gruesome. Hey I had a chicken named Gruesome and her sister Twosome. Good layers and mothers.

 

[rbaker0345]

This year I raised two Midget White toms and a hen, but they're my broodstock and I can't rationalize taking out one of my toms for Thanksgiving. If something happens to one of them, I need a backup. I need to expand my flock before I feel comfortable butchering one of my Toms and I haven't been able to find a local breeder, so this year we are having muscovy for thanksgiving. I have a huge drake that I am butchering in the morning. I've been feeding him up on sunflower seeds for a couple of weeks and I think that he's going to be delicious.

 

[BlueMouse]

Our first time butchering turkeys, we're doing five tomorrow morning. two for our family and three to sell and cover (part) of the feed expenses. I'm a bit apprehensive, because we haven't ever done anything bigger than a broiler and I'm not sure how it's going to go....

 

[rbaker0345]

I use a killing cone for my big birds and it really kind of takes the struggle out of your hands. I wouldn't butcher any other way.

 

[chicks and hens2]

We had 5 BBB we originally bought as poults in March were going to harvest in November but the 3 males were already 40 # in September so we harvested them then saving the 2 BBB hens until Thanksgiving. Unfortunately 2 weeks ago a dog came in our yard when they were out free ranging and killed one and badly mauled the other. Not sure why the mauled one survived because she appeared to be more injured than the other. I thought the other one had a heart attack from being chased by the dog. Anyway we found the owner but that's another story. We didn't feel we should eat that one though we probably could have eaten the breast since there were no marks on it and the dog was healthy. What would the rest of you do with a mauled bird? Bury it or eat the undamaged parts if you bled it out and processed it the normal way just after the incident?
The second one lost all her feathers, some of her skin and muscle meat of her back and thighs but appears to be doing well. She may be Christmas.

 

[Lelilamom]

We had 5 BBB we originally bought as poults in March were going to harvest in November but the 3 males were already 40 # in September so we harvested them then saving the 2 BBB hens until Thanksgiving. Unfortunately 2 weeks ago a dog came in our yard when they were out free ranging and killed one and badly mauled the other. Not sure why the mauled one survived because she appeared to be more injured than the other. I thought the other one had a heart attack from being chased by the dog. Anyway we found the owner but that's another story. We didn't feel we should eat that one though we probably could have eaten the breast since there were no marks on it and the dog was healthy. What would the rest of you do with a mauled bird? Bury it or eat the undamaged parts if you bled it out and processed it the normal way just after the incident?
The second one lost all her feathers, some of her skin and muscle meat of her back and thighs but appears to be doing well. She may be Christmas.

How Awful! Did the meat bruise? I don't know if I could use meat that was damaged like that - but I wouldn't want to discard resources that I've invested so much in either. Tough call. I would probably end up burying them, but I'm a little on the odd side about my birds.

We just processed our 3 turkeys today. So glad it's over.