Thanksgiving Turkey Processing

[kuntrygirl]

kuntrygirl : try the bag!  It really worked very well.  If you don't have a bag, we had been considering duck tape to wrap around the wings and body because we thought it would hold better than string to keep them from flapping.  Then I was just going to remove it before scalding, as it would not matter if it ripped out feathers after the deed.

So, I can try it with a feed sack/bag? I could cut a hole out at the bottom and slide the turkey's head and neck through it. Then I can hang the turkey on the gate and make sure the feed bag is secured on or taped tight on the body, so that it doesn't fall off. Does that sound like it might work?

 

[debir1966]

So, I can try it with a feed sack/bag? I could cut a hole out at the bottom and slide the turkey's head and neck through it. Then I can hang the turkey on the gate and make sure the feed bag is secured on or taped tight on the body, so that it doesn't fall off. Does that sound like it might work?

We used a 50 pound feed sack, cut one of the bottom corners off (doesn't have to be too big, they have small heads - probably 3-4 inches from one side to the other). Our turkeys were very tame, so we just picked one up, wadded up the bag around the hole like wadding up a sock to slip it on, and then put their head through the hole, pulled the bag down around their body and then when it was around their legs we tied a baling string around the end of the bag and their legs, which secured the bag around them (no tape needed). Then you could hang the turkey up by its feet to bleed out or to slice their throat (we chopped-off-the-head versus slicing-the-throat, so we did that first then hung them up in a tree to bleed out once they stopped flapping).

 

[yinepu]

Ok, I will do. Thanks for the tip.

Hey, do you think I could wrap rope around the wings/body so that he doesn't flap his wings? There will be a time when I will have to process by myself, so I am looking for ways that I can do this alone.

I use vet wrap around the wings/body to keep them from flapping and bruising the wings

 

[yinepu]

Well yesturday I went and helped my friend harvest 4 turkeys they were born in may so they were between 11 to 14lbs. She was very persistant that I took her 14lber home so the bottom photo is of my families thanksgiving turkey. Ours will brine tuesday thru thursday and a cider brine

nice birds

i just pulled a 15 pound Heritage mix (Black Spanish X Bronze) out of the freezer.. was hatched out in May and butchered just before Halloween.

 

[kuntrygirl]

Ok, I will do. Thanks for the tip.

Hey, do you think I could wrap rope around the wings/body so that he doesn't flap his wings? There will be a time when I will have to process by myself, so I am looking for ways that I can do this alone.

I use vet wrap around the wings/body to keep them from flapping and bruising the wings

Great! I have some of that on hand. Thanks.

 

[katsdar]

Hi,
I'm new to this chicken raising, my girls just live a good quiet life and give me eggs and I was happy, until I want to now raise birds for meat and seeing your turkeys looking so wonderful dressed out, I need schooling. I have never killed anything (except by accident with the car) I was told once you get past the 3rd one you will be ok, the cleaning to me would not be a problem just need to know how. Ok I saw my first killed deer last year that was not road kill and sorta watched as it was dressed out, now you know how green I am. So anyone want to take on the task of schooling an older woman? I want to really raise Cornish hens because in 6 to 8 weeks they are ready, but I have to know what tools I need and get ready before I get the birds. I am able to free range my girls and I do give them good feed as well, course they get lots of salad stuff too to eat since I work in a restaurant and when we clean the produce I take it home. So I was told that my girls would probably taste really good. Any takers?
Kathleen (kat)

 

[TexasLisa]

I use vet wrap around the wings/body to keep them from flapping and bruising the wings

I am not understanding this. You talk about the turkeys bruising themselves. If turning the bird upside down calms them, is the flapping of the wings part of the 'death throes'? Is bruising bad for the meat? I am hoping to raise turkeys next year and am trying to understand the world of turkeys. Thanks!

Lisa

 

[milleryardchx]

Ok, I will do. Thanks for the tip.

Hey, do you think I could wrap rope around the wings/body so that he doesn't flap his wings? There will be a time when I will have to process by myself, so I am looking for ways that I can do this alone.

rope came off we tried that i would try the duck tape only thing is it might help with plucking a few feathers

 

[milleryardchx]

the death flapping is what we are trying to stop to not bruse the meat while they bleed out its only about 15 seconds if that and their done at least with the 4 turkeys I helped with. While alive they could care less if they were upside down by their feet.

 

[TexasLisa]

the death flapping is what we are trying to stop to not bruse the meat while they bleed out its only about 15 seconds if that and their done at least with the 4 turkeys I helped with. While alive they could care less if they were upside down by their feet.

Okay. Thank you very much!

Lisa