Turkenstein25's Turkey Talk for 2015

[neverbdone]

On butchering day I said "I don't think I want to do this again" but on Thanksgiving I said "Oh my gosh this is so good" and started looking at poultry web pages.  I'm hoping that by next October I'll still remember how fabulous my Royal Palm turkeys tasted as I go through the cycle again.

My DH does the same thing every year. Swears we won't raise more next year and a week later is asking how many poults I'll raise for next year. I don't know if it's the fresh turkey or the feed money we make back.

 

[TeaChick]

I feel the same way about my chickens. Every time we have an extra male (usually harassing the hens too much), I think I want to re-home him rather than process him. But when we eat the fruits of our labors, it's so worth it. I don't mind the butchering as much as I do what comes before it.


It looks like I might have to wait until 2016 to get started on my Narragansett flock. (Is that what a group of turkeys is call?)

 

[chicken pickin]

I feel the same way about my chickens. Every time we have an extra male (usually harassing the hens too much), I think I want to re-home him rather than process him. But when we eat the fruits of our labors, it's so worth it. I don't mind the butchering as much as I do what comes before it.


It looks like I might have to wait until 2016 to get started on my Narragansett flock. (Is that what a group of turkeys is call?)

Yes it is called a flock of turkeys

 

[Book Em Danno25]

Yes it is called a flock of turkeys

or a rafter!

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I feel the same way about my chickens. Every time we have an extra male (usually harassing the hens too much), I think I want to re-home him rather than process him. But when we eat the fruits of our labors, it's so worth it. I don't mind the butchering as much as I do what comes before it.


It looks like I might have to wait until 2016 to get started on my Narragansett flock. (Is that what a group of turkeys is call?)

I'm in that predicament right now. I isolated this rooster for a week away from the hens and reintroduced him yesterday while they were free rangeing. Three of my 8 hens refused to back in the run once they saw he was there. Rooster has to go but I guess it is too close to the turkey butchering day and my willingess to set up the kill station is very low.

On that note, is there some sort of turkey guillotine for quick removal of turkeys from their heads (or heads from turkeys)? I was dismayed how hard it was to decapitate a big tom turkey with a hatchet.

 

[RuzichFamily]

On that note, is there some sort of turkey guillotine for quick removal of turkeys from their heads (or heads from turkeys)? I was dismayed how hard it was to decapitate a big tom turkey with a hatchet.

I prefer to not remove the head until after my poultry is scalded & plucked, keeps all the blood out of the water and it doesn't get nasty as fast. I wring their neck with one quick motion and it internally decapitates them. It's very easy to do, my great grandma was the one that taught me about it years ago, and she had no problems. For me, I have to be very careful with chickens and ducks or I take the head right off when I do it, but I have a big strong farmers grip (plus I lost my left arm almost 10 years ago & my right hand has gotten even stronger). Once they are dressed I use an axe on the tougher birds or just wring the head off completely by hand.

 

[Hummingbird Hollow]

I prefer to not remove the head until after my poultry is scalded & plucked, keeps all the blood out of the water and it doesn't get nasty as fast. I wring their neck with one quick motion and it internally decapitates them. It's very easy to do, my great grandma was the one that taught me about it years ago, and she had no problems. For me, I have to be very careful with chickens and ducks or I take the head right off when I do it, but I have a big strong farmers grip (plus I lost my left arm almost 10 years ago & my right hand has gotten even stronger). Once they are dressed I use an axe on the tougher birds or just wring the head off completely by hand.

Huh...interesting. I was under the impression that I needed to bleed out a chicken or turkey as quickly and thoroughly as possible to get the best quality meat. How does it work for you not bleeding them until after they are scalded and plucked?

 

[mymilliefleur]

I have 5 turkeys. I'll try to get pictures up soon.

 

[mymilliefleur]

Huh...interesting. I was under the impression that I needed to bleed out a chicken or turkey as quickly and thoroughly as possible to get the best quality meat. How does it work for you not bleeding them until after they are scalded and plucked?

X2?

 

[TeaChick]

Yes it is called a flock of turkeys

Thank you!!!

or a rafter!

Oh!!!

Thanks!

I'm in that predicament right now. I isolated this rooster for a week away from the hens and reintroduced him yesterday while they were free rangeing. Three of my 8 hens refused to back in the run once they saw he was there. Rooster has to go but I guess it is too close to the turkey butchering day and my willingess to set up the kill station is very low.

On that note, is there some sort of turkey guillotine for quick removal of turkeys from their heads (or heads from turkeys)? I was dismayed how hard it was to decapitate a big tom turkey with a hatchet.

I have a processing station (an old kitchen sink set up on cement blocks and stumps) set up perminently, so I don't have to go through that every time.
I have read that a lot of ppl have trouble with the actual killing; we thought that a guillotine would be quicker for them and easier for us!!!
I use my good, sharp processing knife to cut their throat (chickens is all I've processed), and then the back of the knife to separate the neck vertabrea, then I use the sharp side to decapitate.
DH used a hatchet one time for one of my huge roos (he was part Orp), but I don't think I could do that.