Visit to turkey farm

[Marcymom3]

For the last several years, on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I have gone to a local turkey farm to get my turkey. By then the processing of their huge flock is usually done. One of my co-workers asked me to go with her today since she is new to the area and didn't know exactly how to get there. Oh, my goodness! There were three huge open sided barns filled with beautiful living turkeys. She got her turkey which was already processed, a 14 lb hen. I just couldn't do it. It made me feel so sad! I think we will be having ham for Thanksgiving this year.

I guess it's weenie of the week for me.

 

[StupidBird]

Awww, how lucky to have a local producer that will sell like that.

 

[desertdarlene]

When I was a kid in Michigan, my parents decided to do the live turkey thing where they picked out a bird and had it butchered while they waited. My mom put the newly processed bird on her lap for the ride home and I guess she could feel it twitching. It bothered her so much that she never wanted to do it ever again.

I remember as a kid looking at all the healthy, free range birds they had.

 

[Marcymom3]

If we ever have turkey for Thanksgiving again, I will wait till Tuesday to go pick it up or else get a Butterball. All I could think was that it would take extreme circumstances, maybe even an apocalypse, for me to ever eat one of my chickens. Then seeing all those lil turkey faces...

 

[easttxchick]

Try having a turkey that you raised from a poult out in your yard. Follows me around like a puppy dog...no turkey for me this year!

If you're weenie of the week, I must be weenie of the year!

 

[Capvin]

We are not able to kill and process our chickens and I am sure that we could not kill a turkey that we had raised. However, we love chicken and turkey and we were fortunate enough to discover a person who does raise turkeys, ducks and chickens for meat. Even though it is over an hours drive from us we will never again consider eating regular store bought poultry. When I was last there I bought several muscovy ducks and picked out the two turkeys that I wanted for Thanksgiving. No qualms about it or second thoughts and we will pick the birds up on Wednesday.

 

[sunny & the 5 egg layers]

Poor Turkey.

 

[Marcymom3]

Quote:

You might be at that! Thanks!

 

[Marcymom3]

Quote:
Others have told me that there is a huge difference between store poultry and "hand-raised". I am sure I would have no trouble eating one that I'd never met that someone else raised. The turkeys I have gotten at that farm really were delicious. Was it my imagination or were those turkeys okay with their destiny? lol... i dunno, it just got to me seeing them all in those barns.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:

Last night I thought about asking DH if we could raise a turkey for next year, but realized that would never happen - the part about it being for next years thanksgiving.

Our meat supplier is sold out of hams and I refuse to buy one in the grocery store. Fortunately our SIL is being given a locally processed ham from a range fed pig, so that takes care of thanksgiving this year.

Christmas will be brisket, from our regular supplier.