Thanksgiving Turkey Processing

[kuntrygirl]

Well, we did 4 out of the 5 Broad-Breasted Whites.  Two toms and two hens.  My Dad had a good idea and we took some old feed bags and cut a corner off and put that over the turkeys and stuck their heads through the hole we made.  Then we tied their legs with the open end of the bag.  This kept them from flapping and bruising and running around and worked very well.

Like with our chickens, we got our scalding water a little too warm.  We did try and keep it at 150 but it kept creeping up on us and we just couldn't seem to get it regulated.  I didn't get many pictures - we were in a hurry to just get done.  It poured the day before and all night but thankfully was just overcast today and about 40 degrees.  It would have been down-right pleasant if it had not been for the somewhat brisk wind.

We started about 10:30 a.m. and finished by 1:30 p.m., so 3 hours for 4 birds, not too bad for 3 of us (myself, my husband and our teenage son).

Broad-Breasted White, free-ranged, fed 20% protien non-GMO food, no medications from day 1.  Hatch date June 27th from Ideal Poultry, 20 1/2 weeks today.  Dressed the hens weighed 13.5 pounds and toms weighed 20 pounds, that is with giblets (liver, heart, gizzard and trimmed neck - we weighed them after they were packaged).


Turkey in a feed bag, sans head.


My husband cleaning the first tom.


The second tom in the kitchen sink.  I didn't get any pics of the hens.

We saved the last hen so she could grow a little more.  We still have the cornish meat chickens to process in December and we will process her then as well.

Good job!

 

[VT-510]

Well that was a disappointment. My 3 Narragansetts TOGETHER weighed 24 LBS. Two were 7 1/2 one was 9. My X-Rock chickens were that big after 10 weeks.
Don't know what I did wrong, they had free access to food, I fed them beer and cracked corn for the past 2 weeks, fresh harvest pork fat for the past 2 days, completely free range, but they look like the chickens I ate while in Cuba!.... I might have to stuff them with a 12lb Boston Butt.

 

[1995droptopz]

This is my second year raising poultry, and I did turkeys again. Last year I processed my own and I felt it was a lot of time and work to save $8 each.

This year I ended up with a broad breasted white tom and a bronze hen that I took in at 21 weeks. He dressed out at 33.92 lbs and she was 22.3 lbs.

We served the bigger one a few weeks back at the kids b-day party since it was too big to go into a vacuum bag, and it was delicious.

 

[Jared77]

Quote:
Who else is coming for Thanksgiving dinner? Would they eat a heritage bird? Im not saying give them a live bird either. Sorry just reread my post and thought I should edit that. Maybe give them away as Christmas gifts? Float the idea out there since you'd have so many culls. Friends/family? Just a thought to get rid of some of your culls.

Do you have a grinder or access to one you could borrow? Or a processor who you could have it turned into turkey burger or sausage? Combine the meat from a few of those culled birds and make a single large summer sausage? Or some smaller hunter sticks? Just trying to think outside the box and not be stuck with a bunch of large birds taking up valuable freezer space.

What if you broke the birds down after you processed them? Breast them out, freeze that to bake later. Take the backs, wings, thighs, and do soup or chili? That's what Id do with undersized culls of your new starter flock plus any culls you get as you build the flock up.

 

[chicken pickin]

We cooked our first home grown BBW turkey for Thanksgiving already this past Sat(we always celebrate early to accomadate other family members) He was 27lbs and was tastey. I brined him in water, apple juice, salt and sugar. Then I buttered him spiced him up, and tossed and handful of butter and spices inside of him them stuffed him with apples. My family said he was delicious but I think ive been reading so much on home grown meat that I had higher expectations for his flavor. He was very good though. Ill test a different recipe on the 17lb hen for christmas. But what Im really looking forward to now is nexts years Bourbon Red for Thanksgiving.

 

[ScottnLydia]

Well that was a disappointment. My 3 Narragansetts TOGETHER weighed 24 LBS. Two were 7 1/2 one was 9. My X-Rock chickens were that big after 10 weeks.
Don't know what I did wrong, they had free access to food, I fed them beer and cracked corn for the past 2 weeks, fresh harvest pork fat for the past 2 days, completely free range, but they look like the chickens I ate while in Cuba!.... I might have to stuff them with a 12lb Boston Butt.

You never did say how old they were.

Heritage breeds like Narragansetts grow slower and need a good 8 months, or there about, to reach full adult size. Regardless of size, I'm sure they will be tender and tastey. Just cook all 3!

~S

 

[kuntrygirl]

Well that was a disappointment. My 3 Narragansetts TOGETHER weighed 24 LBS. Two were 7 1/2 one was 9. My X-Rock chickens were that big after 10 weeks.
Don't know what I did wrong, they had free access to food, I fed them beer and cracked corn for the past 2 weeks, fresh harvest pork fat for the past 2 days, completely free range, but they look like the chickens I ate while in Cuba!.... I might have to stuff them with a 12lb Boston Butt.

I think you did good. Just chalk this up to a learning experience. Be proud of what you did. Good job!

Do you think if you would have fed them a HIGH protein pellet, would have worked?

 

[kuntrygirl]

We cooked our first home grown BBW turkey for Thanksgiving already this past Sat(we always celebrate early to accomadate other family members) He was 27lbs and was tastey. I brined him in water, apple juice, salt and sugar. Then I buttered him spiced him up, and tossed and handful of butter and spices inside of him them stuffed him with apples. My family said he was delicious but I think ive been reading so much on home grown meat that I had higher expectations for his flavor. He was very good though. Ill test a different recipe on the 17lb hen for christmas. But what Im really looking forward to now is nexts years Bourbon Red for Thanksgiving.

Good job!

All of these pics are really getting me excited about my own Bourbon Reds.

 

[VT-510]

I think you did good. Just chalk this up to a learning experience. Be proud of what you did. Good job!

Do you think if you would have fed them a HIGH protein pellet, would have worked?

Thank you. One for the learning curve. I didn't know they had such a long mature rate also. They were 6 months old and were fed
Poulin Turkey Pellets for the majority then a mix with that and cracked corn and beer to finish. Their frames are a decent size, they just look too thin. I'll try and post up a pic, and yes...we'll be eating all 3!

 

[milleryardchx]

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