| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Sep 23 2010 : 7:42:45 PM
I am so ready to butcher every single one of my turkeys tomorrow. They are driving me crazy. Maybe it's the full moon? I don't know. But they used to be so darn sweet and now I hate them all. They will not do what I want them to do. They are all over the place. Tonight they were scattered all over. Some went in to eat and others would not go in. So I gave up and went inside figuring they would go in when I left. Well, no. There were 4 that stayed out. One was where I could catch it but the other 3 are on the roof. I am not letting them back out. I will catch them tomorrow and they are staying in til I get ready to put them in the freezer. Ok, I am done now. I will probably love them again in the morning but right now I am mad at them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| 25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| amomfly |
Posted - Dec 09 2010 : 6:21:48 PM
Hey ladies... I butchered ours at 9mos. or so. I feed meat chicken or game feed. Like Sherrye said they need more protein. Otherwise you can get leg and muscle deformaties. I order mine from Murray McMurray or get them from 4H kids that had to order alot to get a good price. I really like my black pearl x!
God Bless
Angie-amomfly
#1038 |
| sherrye |
Posted - Dec 09 2010 : 07:03:05 AM
hi girls, we fed our turkeys wild game bird food. higher protein percent. they do need a higher protein than chickens to grow fast and good. when i kill in the cone they are in there tight. head out bottom. we cut only the juglar on each side of wind pipe. then they stay in cone till done draining into bucket. then we hang ours and skin. kris said it right. how great you had all that help. looks like a fun hard working day. good for you. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Dec 08 2010 : 8:38:33 PM
Hey Heather. Looks like you had lots of help. How old were yours? I think mine need to go alot longer to get to a good size. I'll wait to do the other 2 males in about 4 months. And where do you get turkey feed? I am just feeding mine 3 way scratch. I know they need more protein. I'll go to the coop on Friday and see what they have. Especially now that it's so stinkin' cold. The chickens are fine with the scratch but the turkeys need more.
And the guy that helped me had never done this before. I didn't know that til he had cut the throat of the first turkey and it flopped all over the place, in the cone! We had to take out and chop it's head off. It was awful. Poor turkey. And poor guy. Teh next one we used loppers. Worked great. But turkeys are a lot different than chickens. They take alot longer to stop moving.
I haven't cooked my little guy yet. But will maybe this weekend. What did you do with all yours?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Dec 08 2010 : 7:42:34 PM
Hi, sorry it took me so long to get back to everyone, I thought the turkey processing was awful lots more blood than I expected. I'm glad I can do it if I have to but, I Never will again. Ours were the Broad breasted white ones and our smallest hen was 7 pounds after being dressed, that largest was 17 lbs, we let them sit in the fridge for 2 days, then froze all but the 7 lb one, we did a test run on her, she was a little gamey tasting, but good. We had one for Thanksgiving that we froze, it came out better I thought, maybe cause it was fatter, the Turkey Pot pie I made with the leftovers was to die for. Ours were free range except at night, so that could be why they tasted gamey, and as far as the corn They would NOT eat corn, we mixed flock raiser and cracked corn, in the turkey pen at night, and they would eat everything but the corn, the didn't touch it, odd I thought. anyway Instead of slitting the throat to let them drain, if I ever had to do it again I would just cut the head off all at once.
Heather Wright~ Farmgirl Sister #2187 Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. ~Veronica A. Shoffstall
www.vintagekarmajewels.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Nov 28 2010 : 08:02:01 AM
Hey Brenda. Sorry for not getting back to you. I'll try to answer your questions now.
As far as fattening them up, they weren't fat. The 2 we did were just 6 and 8 pounds. When I read of people butchering 40 pound turkeys, I get really upset. But then I have to remember that these are NOT the Broad Breasted White that are the "regular" Thanksgiving birds. These are a heritage breed and they will take longer to get to that point. Plus these are just 5 months. So I guess it takes a lot longer to get them to that weight. And lots of food. I do feed a 3-way scratch. It has lots of corn in it. And they are cooped up right now because the hens will fly over the fences and I am tired of chasing them all back in only to do it a few minutes later.
I am going to put the other 2 toms in another coop and feed them a higher protien feed and see if that will get them bigger. I think right now there are too many toms and they are fighting each other. Not too much eating going on.
And these guys have feed 24/7.
I can't wait to cook the turkey and see how good it is. I will in a few weeks and let ya know how it is.
I will be keeping the bigger tom and the 4 hens to breed. I will be selling poults in the spring.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| LakeOntarioFarmgirl |
Posted - Nov 24 2010 : 4:18:00 PM
Kris I've been following your posts closely, because I am determined in the spring to order turkey babies! So, you thought they would weigh more....did they look bigger than they actually were after plucking them?
How do you get them fat enough for the holidays? I can see that you had them confined to a coop the last few weeks, did you feed them all the time, or pull up their food at night? Did they have a high protein food or a low protein?
I wonder if giving them a lot of corn would put weight on?
I just love the idea of having turkeys, to me they're so beautiful, and I very distinctly remember the fresh turkeys from my youth, probably explains why I hate store bought turkey now.
Well, at least you have 1 for your freezer. :)
Brenda
FarmGirl # 711
"If you have made mistakes, there is always another chance for you. You may have a fresh start any moment you choose, for this thing we call 'failure' is not the falling down, but the staying down. "~ Mary Pickford
http://theviewfromhere-brenda.blogspot.com/ |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Nov 20 2010 : 3:18:51 PM
I have had a busy day. I started out baking 3 loaves of wheat bread. Then a gallon of granola. The 3 grands spent the night so had to fix breakfast. Then go on a goat exchange. I had to take my friend's doe to my other friend's buck. Then pick up another friend's buck for my girls. Then got 14 bales of hay. Then back home to get ready for the great turkey butcher. My friend up the road made one of those PVC-bungee feather pluckers that go on a drill. Boy, do they really work and save tons of time. Those turkeys were plucked in now time! But make sure the water is 140 degrees so the feathers come out really easy.
But the sad part is the 2 we did today only weighed 8 and 6 pounds. I was so upset. And my mom, who was here with my step dad to take pictures, said after we were done, that they would just go buy one. Because it was only like a big chicken. SO I will just keep it for us and put it in the freezer for later.
So how do I get the other 2 male turkeys to weigh 18 pounds by Christmas???? I had all these put up in a 10x10 coop for several weeks. I thought for sure they would be at least 15 pounds. These are Bourbon Reds. Maybe they just aren't a big bird. I hope it will be good though. SO that was my day. I am pooped!
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Nov 14 2010 : 07:14:03 AM
Probably apple cider instead of water and then salt, brown sugar and herbs and spices. Go look in the Kithen thread and find the brining a turkey post. There are all kinds of good recipes for brines. And I will look for a done plug thingy. Thanks.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| sherrye |
Posted - Nov 14 2010 : 06:49:19 AM
can you put a done plug in the turkey? i find them at the store sometimes. or use a meat thermometer. i am thinking it will be delicous. what are you putting in your brine kris? happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Nov 14 2010 : 06:04:53 AM
Sherry, I am going to butcher this coming Sat. I have a friend who is buying one so she will come help. Should eb fun. And they have some cickens to butcher and so do I so maybe we could do it all in one day. So I will keep it in the fridge til Tuesday night then brine it til Wed. night when my step dad will start to cook it. I hope he gets it done this year. The last 2 years he has not cooked it totally done and it's so gross. So how do I tell him?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| sherrye |
Posted - Nov 12 2010 : 6:57:50 PM
kris may i suggest that you at least age the turkey. they need to cool out in the fridge for 3 days to be tender. i havent done mine yet. gotta soon tough. you farmgirls have beautiful birds. some just have the beard thing. i have one with and one without. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Nov 12 2010 : 6:25:36 PM
Heather, I wish I could come up and we could do it together. Are you going to feeze yours? I was wondering when the best time to butcher mine would be.If I do it now I would have to freeze it. I was wondering for a fresh turkey what's better? Fresh or frozen?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Nov 12 2010 : 4:31:43 PM
Well tommorrow is the big day, I won't post any gross pictures, but if it goes well I will be happy to share anything I learn.
Heather Wright~ Farmgirl Sister #2187 Plant your own garden and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers. ~Veronica A. Shoffstall
www.vintagekarmajewels.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Oct 21 2010 : 06:20:53 AM
Heather- the farm owners took pity on me and beheaded it for me. I had never seen it done before. I think I could do it next time though!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Oct 21 2010 : 05:43:02 AM
Alee, How did it go? |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 6:44:03 PM
Nope, mine don't have that little beard. And they did not want to go back in tonight again. I wonder what makes them do that? It is so agravating. They will usually follow me right back into the coop. But tinight it took half an hour to get them to go in. And I got the momma hens and all 5 babies back in their coop in just a minute. They are so smart. Anyway, sometimes these birds can really get to me.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 2:18:36 PM
Ok, now I see it and know what you're talking about. I am going to look and see if mine have that. I haven't noticed it I guess because they are a brownish red color. I'll let ya know.
kris
Happiness is simple. |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 1:09:02 PM
Good luck Alee let us know how it goes. I wasn't planning on dipping, I don't think I have a big enough pot. I was just going to try to yank the feathers out. I thought about a cone that sounds like the best way. Here is a pic. of the beard it's that black spot in the middle of the chest, It has grown longer, but it looks very funny
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| Alee |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 10:54:03 AM
Kristin- I am not looking forward to the chop- but I am looking forward to being strong and knowing the full origin of my food. Life is good :D
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 09:12:05 AM
Heather, thanks for the picture. Those were the kind I had before. Mine are 4 months old. I can't tell what you mean by a beard. My 5 toms have the nose thing and the longer neck thing. Mine are not liking scratch at all. They still want the starter feed. It's a lot more expensive so they need to eat scratch. I have very picky animals here. Or maybe spoiled.
Alee, you can do this, girl. Just think of you great grandmothers and what they had to do just to have dinner. And think of how GOOD that turkey will be and how many dinners you will get from it.
Sherry, you still have lots of work ahead of you. Are you buthchering the goats yourself?
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| sherrye |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 06:56:07 AM
are you girls going to dip and pluck your birds? i skin mine. my hands just will not pluck anymore. they are too stiff. let us know how it goes alee. sounds like you will be first. i have 2 to butcher. going to start after fly season is over. we have had a few freezes but not enough yet. i have 2 goats to do also and 25 fryers. i use a cone for killing like kris said. they are easy to make if you have tin snips and a way to rivet it into a cone. happy days sherrye
the learn as we go silk purse farm
farm girl #1014
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| Alee |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 06:44:02 AM
Well, this Sunday I am going to kill my first Turkey. I figure Tom will be cooked for Monday Night's dinner. Hopefully to celebrate Sky's reunion with the family. I'll let you know how it goes!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com
www.allergyjourneys.blogspot.com
Put your pin on the farmgirl map! www.farmgirlmap.blogspot.com |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Oct 13 2010 : 06:03:35 AM
Hi, yeah we are almost in the same state. I have the broadbreasted white kind. We got them as one day old chicks in march. We lost 4 when they were tiny, and the rest to dogs. We pen them up at night, but they free range during the day. We have chickens, but they are layers, and I have never done them either, My friend is doing this with me, and she has done chicken before. And I have a willing husband, I should be ok, I'm just nervous. I hope I don't vomit or anything like that lol. I didn't name them, so that should make it easier. Yes I love to feed ours too. They LOVE cantalope and watermelon rinds ( well the juicy stuff that is left)Do your turkeys have beards? 3 of ours have them and at first I thought it was a cockleburr or something, so I pulled at it and, it would not come off! LOL, those turkeys just cocked their heads at me like I was nuts.
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| kristin sherrill |
Posted - Oct 12 2010 : 7:08:10 PM
Hey Heather. You aren't too far away. I am right outside Chatt. So what kind do you have? And I hope you did not lose 11 turkeys. That's alot. I have some turkeys a few years ago that I got when they were about 5 or 6 months old. I butchered 2 of them. It was just like doing chickens only much bigger so it took way longer to do. If you have a cone it is supposed to make it easier. Also if you have a husband to help. They are good for something!! How old are yours? I have so much fun with mine most of the time. I love to sit out in the pasture with them. They will eat bread from my hand. They stay right with me when I am out there. Yesterday all 5 of the toms were strutting around showing off at the same time. I still don't know why. The girls were not even paying attention to them.
Kris
Happiness is simple. |
| hwright95 |
Posted - Oct 12 2010 : 2:42:03 PM
Hi, glad I came across your post. This has been my first year raising turkeys, we started out with 15 and have 6 left. They free range. I am very nervous about butchering them as I have never done it, and have only youtube videos and books to guide me. So any prayers and advice you could offer would be much appreciated.
Thanks
Heather |
